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Presenting a lunar eclipse

Last night we were treated to a lunar eclipse here in Nara, Japan (and elsewhere in the world, assuming you had clear skies). As it's the harvest season here with very much a feeling of Autumn in the air, the majestic orange tint of the moon seen just above the trees lining our house seemed very fitting to the season. As you know, a lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly behind the Earth and into its shadow or umbra. The orange Moon or "blood Moon" is really something to behold. But why does the Moon turn red/orange? It's a simple phenomenon and it's explained clearly and visually in this video presentation by our friends at NASA (below).



Capturing the mood
Below are a few images I snapped outside an upstairs bedroom window at home about 8:10 PM Japan time last night. No filters or editing at all, and yet that is one intensely orange Moon. Beautiful. Before science, imagine what kind of super natural explanations one could have come up with to scare the pants (or loin cloths) off of people. We use the term "awesome" too much in daily conversation, but this gorgeous Moon was a truly awesome sight.

Moon-2

Moon3


Moon2

(click images for larger size). The snaps are from my old Nikon D90. But I was too lazy to find my tripod, so I balanced the camera on the window ledge upstairs. That was steady (sort of). But pushing the shutter with my finger was still enough to get a bit of a blur, but I did not mind as I rather like the effect of the imperfection. Besides, my father in-law—an amateur astronomer—was taking much better photos with his high-tech telescopes down the street.

Link
Fantastic shots from last night's eclipse on Flickr

Comments

Wes Roberts

From Denver, CO, Good Morning, Garr...

You've been a significant influencer of what I'm about at the ripe olde age of 72. Thank you for all your encouragement and inspiration, even though we may not ever meet. However, if you are ever in Colorado, please let me know.

Between you and Nancy Duarte, our work is improving in the training of whole-life mentors. Our presentations are vastly improving, and when others speak up about the slides that guide the creative and experience learning process, I often say a silent thank you to you and to Nancy. :-)

Now, I have a request. If this is not possible, not a problem. I simply, yet profoundly, do not want to take advantage of your photos of the recent lunar eclipse.

Even as some clouds floated by this week, the scene, extra early in the AM here, was magnificent here in the Denver area. Stunning would almost be a mild word. So much so, that as I was getting in my first 10,000 steps of the day (about 4.5 brisk miles...), watching the moon appear and disappear behind the passing clouds, I totally took a wrong step off a curb and did a number on my left foot.

"Ouch!" was not exactly what I first said. :-) And fortunately I was only about three blocks from home so did not need to wake up my wife 0f 48+ years to come get me. I was hurrying home to grab my camera to head out and get my own picture of the moon, before she disappeared behind the Rocky Mountains.

Here's the question, may I use your pic, with full credit to you, Garr? I like the position on the upper right that you took (third one down on this blog post). Though Japan and Colorado are almost a world apart, you caught what I also saw here. Beautiful, to the max!!!

Should you give permission, you will find it used in a Facebook article I want to put out about my literal miscue stepping off the curb. :-) As a leadership mentor, with the thoroughly humbling and amazing privilege of mentoring emerging leaders from around the globe (in person, using FaceTime and Skype), I like to use real time photos and stories to illustrate our intentional, deep-change, whole-life, transformational mentoring model.

So, Sir Reynolds, this is way more than you maybe needed on this day, but I've been wanting to say thank you for a long time for your writing and encouragement. This added ask has pushed be, comfortably, over that edge.

Also, we share something in common. In one of your books, when I saw your picture, I thought, if that's not Cannon Beach, I don't know what Cannon Beach looks like. Also a boyhood haunt for my own family. I grew up on a large ranch west of Corvallis, in a small burg called Philomath, on Highway 20, the way to the coast from Corvallis and the Willamette Valley.

OK...enough. May you find in the day you read this the peace and deep joy that is due you. Do know that there is an olde man over here who welcomes your every blog, and awaits your next book. Blessings abundant to you and your precious wife and children.

...Wes Roberts

[email protected]

...www.leadershipdesigngroup.com

...also on Facebook

...303.809.6503

garr

Wes, thanks very much for the note. Great to hear from you. Yes, of course you may use the photo.

And I know Corvallis well (I'm a Beaver after all).

Much appreciated, Wes. All the best! -g

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