Source of Awesome

This is a photo of the last full moon of 2020. Good news! There are numerous months in a given year when clouds obscure the moon when full, not this month. At the time of the photo the air temperature at the location of the camera was a chilling 8 degrees above zero. There was a light wind from the northwest. The photographer was wearing insulated clothing. To operate the camera there were no gloves or mittens on his aging hands.

To heighten the majesty of this celestial object, there were earthly objects hurtling through the air above earth. The wings of Goldeneye ducks whistled past the ears of the photographer. The moon is mysterious by itself. Next, add the mystery of wild birds winging their way toward an evening roost to the scene. Finally, factor in the increasingly cold crisp, clean air. Oh, add a spruce tree on the lower left corner. This is the setting for the photo.

At the closest point of moon orbit to earth, the distance is approximately 225,623 miles. This is call lunar perigee. The farthest distance of the moon orbit places it approximately 252,088 miles from earth. This is lunar apogee. This final full moon of 2020 is 244,055 miles from earth. Time for an amazing fact…human eyes can see an object 244,055 miles distant…with details called craters.

Does the moon have weight? This is sort of a trick question. You see the moon is free falling in its orbit around earth. But remember it has been in earth orbit for your entire life and the lives of every human in recorded history. Think of it as a perpetual free fall. In this state the moon is weightless. Its mass is one sixth of the earth. But…if there were some way to bring the moon to rest on earth to weigh it, the scientific estimate of its weight is 73,477,000,000,000,000,000 TONS. (Say 73 quintillion.)

How does such a massive object maintain such a predictable orbit? We are able to estimate its maximum and minimum orbital distance from earth. That has not changed …for our entire lifetimes-and that of all of recorded history before us. The orbit of the moon is fixed. How does it stay in place?

We know a great deal about the moon. Humans have even walked there. But there remains great mystery surrounding earth’s satellite and closest neighbor in the universe. Begin with the beauty of the moon. Stand outside the evening of a full moon and watch it rise above the horizon. You will be awed…and you will like it. How many photographs have been taken of a full moon? No one knows, yet we both know the number is likely inestimable. It is a great subject for a photo. There is majesty and silent power in the full moon.

Nothing trite intended, there is no intent at stale description with tired words…but a full moon is awesome.

And awesome comes from God.

Want to see the hand of God? Look at the moon.

His dynasty will go on forever;

his kingdom will endure as the sun.

It will be as eternal as the moon,

my faithful witness in the sky!”