The things you see in the shadow of the earth

It’s Wednesday night and we’re eating dinner. “Tonight there’s going to be a lunar eclipse!” I tell CJ, “that’s where the Earth’s shadow covers the moon.”

I draw a picture on the back of an envelope showing how the Earth moves between the sun and the moon. “After it gets dark, we’ll go outside and look at it.”

CJ looked at me, his eyes wide. “You mean we will see the EARTH?” he whispers.

“Well… sort of. We’ll see the shadow of the earth.” I say. He is excited, but I can tell he hasn’t quite followed me.

Evening falls and we step out on the back porch to see the eclipse. The moon looks three-dimensional, unfamiliar, otherworldly. I’ve always heard that the moon seems to disappear during an eclipse, but now I see that really it just turns sort of brown. Still, it’s amazing to see the shadow of our planet there in the night sky. It makes me feel small but tangible, a tiny life in this vast universe.

Then, spur of the moment (the best things always are), we decide to go down to the nearby lake where the Astronomical Society has set up their telescopes for public viewing.

CJ can’t WAIT to look through the big HUGE spying scopes.

When we get to the lake, it is abuzz with people. I love the feeling of community and shared excitement. The air is cool without being cold and it’s a beautiful clear night. We can see a thousand stars, the brown moon, and… Saturn? Really? I didn’t know that star down there to the left of the moon was Saturn! COOL!

There are all manner of telescopes set up, from small hobby scopes to the MEGA SUPER SCOPE. We stand in line to get a look, CJ clutching my hand and turning his head this way and that, trying to take it all in. The man next to me with planets on his shirt is lecturing an elderly couple on the issue of Light Pollution. The people behind us are talking about Saturn.

Finally it’s our turn to peer into the huge scope. Don’t touch it! I tell CJ, as Jay lifts him up to look inside. CJ looks through and announces, “the moon has so many COLORS!”

And then it’s my turn. I close one eye and squint through the other. It takes me a few seconds to get my eye lined up just right, but finally I see it. It’s astounding.

I’ve heard that you can see things when you view the moon during an eclipse… things that otherwise would not be visible. It’s true, you know.

And they say that each person who looks at the moon sees something different… that the craters and shadows form a sort of galactic Rorschach test.

What do you see?

Yes, I’m watching you.

Now go to bed.

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