One night out of the year the moon rises at an azimuth where it comes up directly behind Split Rock Lighthouse making for a spectacular sight. This was the night and crystal clear skies allowed for a breathtaking view.
This years moonrise was especially significant because it was a "perigee Moon". A "perigee Moon" occurs when the moons elliptical orbit around the earth actually brings it 30,000 miles closer to the earth, making it appear 30% brighter than the other moon rises later in the year.
I arrived at Split Rock State Park about 15 minutes before the moonrise and stuck my tripod into the snow waiting for the first glimpse of the moon. As the sun slowly set in the west, shades of blue and magenta began filling the eastern sky. Waiting for the moon to creep up the back side of the cliff, I chatted with a few other photographers who had arrived a few minutes before me. It wasn't long before the moon slide out from the behind the lighthouse to make its appearance before continuing on its celestial orbit.The moon made an awesome display of God's glory as it drifted behind the lighthouse. As I watched the event through my camera lens, I couldn't help thinking about the clockwork inside the lighthouse and how the keepers were required to wind the mechanism every few hours to keep the giant lens rotating precisely so that the beam would flash across Lake Superior every 10 seconds.
God wound his universe up when He created the stars, planets, and moons. Tonight's moonrise was a view of the universal clockwork that men have stood in awe and wonder at for thousands of years. It was a good evening to watch the heavens slowly turn and a good evening to be alive.
You made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to set. Psa 104:19
