Focus! Focus!

 

The full moon last night...

 "Was your lens set wrong, Jim?"  No, but thanks for asking.  The moon came up in the southeast, over South Mountain.  Behind a layer of clouds.  That is the best image I could get, waiting for the clouds to part.  The clouds weren't thick enough to completely block the moon.  That image above is as crisp as it's going to get.  For now.

The actual moment of "full moon" will be at 9:56 am, today (yeah, during the daytime).  Meaning: it will appear full last night and tonight.  It is another "micromoon" because it will be near its apogee (farthest point in its orbit from Earth), making it appear slightly smaller and dimmer than a typical full moon.

For those interested, this one is known as "the Flower Moon" ... should be no surprise to anyone, since the Old Farmers Almanac states: flowers spring forth across North America in abundance this month!  Duh.

"The Cree names Budding Moon and Leaf Budding Moon celebrate the awakening of local flora, which really begins to leaf out now in many areas. Similarly, Planting Moon (Dakota, Lakota) marks the time when seeds should be started for the farming season ahead. 

The activities of animals marked spring’s arrival, too, which is highlighted by the Cree names Egg Laying Moon and Frog Moon, as well as the Oglala term Moon of the Shedding Ponies. All three names indicate that warmer weather is on the way!"

The high today is supposed to be 100º.  Who didn't see that coming?