opyright ©2026 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
PLEASE DO NOT USE MY IMAGES WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN PERMISSION.
On Valentine’s Day morning the Moon rose just before sunrise and I was up and ready for it. I went out back and while setting up my tripod and camera I thought I heard a quiet “hello”. It was dark and way too early for anyone to be out so I carried on. Then I heard a louder “hello”. Oh, my gosh it was my neighbor out filling her bird feeder. We both giggled and said good morning then we both admired the Moonrise.
Waning Crescent 8.1%.
There was Earthshine too. What is Earthshine you may be asking? The internet has a better definition than mine.
“Earthshine is the faint glow seen on the unlit portion of the Moon, particularly during its crescent phase.
It occurs when sunlight reflects off Earth’s surface—especially clouds, ice, and landmasses—then travels to the Moon, illuminates its night side, and is reflected back to Earth. This creates a ghostly luminance on the Moon’s dark face, making the entire lunar disk visible even when only a thin crescent is lit by direct sunlight.
The phenomenon is most noticeable just before and after a New Moon, when Earth appears nearly full from the Moon’s perspective, maximizing the reflected light. Earth reflects about 30% of incoming sunlight, and from the Moon, Earth appears 40 times brighter than the full Moon does from Earth. The effect is sometimes called “the old Moon in the new Moon’s arms” or “the ashen glow.”
Earthshine is not just a visual curiosity—it’s a valuable tool for science. By studying the light reflected from Earth to the Moon, researchers can analyze Earth’s albedo (reflectivity), monitor changes in cloud cover, and even search for signs of life, such as the “red edge” spectral signature from vegetation.
It also serves as a natural illumination source for robotic missions exploring the Moon’s night side and permanently shadowed polar regions.”
I zoomed in a bit. Here it is at 100mm.
Isn’t that a lovely thought, ” The Old Moon in the New Moon’s arms”.
The contrail was interesting- it looks like it’s going right through the Moon.
We’ve got a storm coming in as I type this (Tuesday morning). They predict 4-8 inches of snow here in the valley and 12-16 in the mountains. We woke up to snow and it’s still snowing. We’re staying in and getting cozy. Well until we have to get bundled up and start shoveling!
I finished the Love Stamps puzzle I started at the beginning of the month last night so, I suppose it’s a good time to start a new one.
I hope you’re all having a good week!
Nikon Df| Nikkor 120mm| edited and processed in PS CC 2026
more to come…
Circadianreflections Blog 
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