Moonrise

In Southern Ontario we missed the lunar eclipse last evening because of overcast skies. Our loss.

Reports from elsewhere suggest it was impressive. We don't pay a great deal of attention to the night sky in areas of light pollution, but the moon and stars are fascinating. Our calendar is built around the "moonth" and religions acknowledge the importance of this satellite of the Earth. In ancient Israel signal fires were lit in Jerusalem to mark the new moon, then travelled from hilltop to hilltop across the country.

Our great festival of Easter is influenced by the moon. Easter is the "moveable feast" because it is on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the Spring equinox. This isn't the best time of the year to be standing outside looking upward, but a good gawk in summertime can be a holy experience.