Eclipse-watching from the pond

We pulled up chairs in front of the pond to watch Sunday's night's eclipse and, in spite of some weather predictions to the contrary, the rather wispy cloud cover dissipated in plenty of time to show us a bright super moon and to reveal the creeping earth shadow that gradually blotted it out leaving only the ghostly golden (or reddish) orb in its place. The moon rises in the east and the full moon makes a double display as it is reflected in the water of the bay. As was widely reported, this was a super moon on one of its closest passes to the earth and, until overtaken by the earth's shadow, it was incredibly brilliant. Seen through binoculars, the creeping shadow gave it a beautifully three-dimensional look as the bright area gradually shrank to a mere sliver and then to almost nothing. All that was missing from this unearthly scene was a calling owl and, sure enough and right on cue, a Screech Owl began a long series of ghostly whinnies from the woods between the house and the pond. Maybe this was its command for the earth to let go of its moon. If that's what it was, it worked perfectly.

Eric Salzman