Strawberry Moon Over Roche Harbor Marina

These shots were not easy...I've gotten up three nights/mornings in a row between 2-4AM to try my hand at getting some moonset shots. It's an interesting process as we are on a dock buried in the midst of larger boats and sailboats...lots of masts and wires to deal with. Then there is just the process of getting up quietly, trying not to disturb ones mate (ha!)...and constant walking of the docks to try and change positions for a better vantage. I learned a lot, but am still wanting to learn more! This morning's sky was clear, the best it has been, and it was getting closer to dawn which lightened the sky. Even at that I had to use a high ISO to get the trees to show, and it was hard not to overexpose the moon. But I love the challenge, and enjoyed trying different things. I didn't want to cheat, using Photoshop to meld two images or lighten/darken areas. So what you see is what I got.

This morning we had an almost full moon (94%) setting at 4:14AM and termed a gibbous moon. Any moon that appears more than half lighted but less than full is called a gibbous moon. The word gibbous comes from a root word that means hump-backed. You can see the hump-backed shape of the waxing gibbous moon.

June's full moon happen on Thursday the 12th and Friday the 13th...but here it is apt to be cloudy and so this will be as good as it gets for me in the San Juan islands. June's full moon, known as the Strawberry Moon, coincides with the ominous timing of Friday the 13th this year. The moon will be full at precisely 12:11 a.m. Friday, so essentially on Thursday night, not Friday night. But it will still shine brightly on Friday, perhaps behind some storm clouds.

The term "strawberry moon" comes from the fact that it's strawberry season, and Algonquin tribes knew this was the time of year to gather them, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. It is also known as the Rose Moon and the Hot Moon, according to the almanac.

This month's moon is also known as a "Honey Moon" because it can have a slightly golden tint, according to EarthSky.org. That's because it appears low in the sky, meaning we are viewing it through the lens of more of the Earth's atmosphere. In fact for me, I'd have called it a ROSE MOON for sure, as it was rather red.

For more photos, visit my flickr page!

Oh, and I think this is my 3 year anniversary on BLIP...hard to believe that I've made it this long. It's been sometimes hard, but I'm glad I've got the structure of BLIP to keep me motivated. I've been slack at best in commenting on other journals, but it is what it is...we do the best we can...and that is enough:) I do want to thank those of you who regularly comment on my journal...I love you, and your comments mean a lot!!