In the Light

In the Light                                                                                          

By Viki Mather

Have you noticed how much light there is these days? At the end of February, we had 11 hours of sun! Add in dawn and dusk, and we were looking at a sky with more light-hours than dark-hours. According to the almanac, we are gaining 3 or 4 minutes of sunlight each day. That may not sound like much, but in just a couple of weeks, on March 17th, we’ll see the sun rise and set a full 12 hours apart! Ahhh, I just love all that sun!

Winter seems to be a long, dark time. The one mitigating factor to this darkness is the brilliance of the moon for a couple of weeks each month. For the past few years I’ve noticed that the moon has been rising higher in the sky in the sky in winter – just when we need the extra light! This year, the winter moon is as high as it ever gets. And the higher it goes in the sky, the more light we enjoy here down on the snowy ground.

Last weekend, even the quarter-full moon was bright enough for walking and skiing through most of the evening. This coming weekend, the moon will be so full, and so bright, and so high in the sky that we could ski all night long!  If we had that much energy…

Keep watch of the moonrise over the next few days. On March 1st, it rises 2½ hours before sunset. On the 2nd, the moon rises 1¼ hours before the sun goes down. And on March 3rd, the moon rises in the east just before the sun sets in the west.

March 3rd is the most interesting day to observe the moon this year. This is the day of the March full moon. The moon will be in an eclipse for most of the early evening. As it turns out, it might be difficult to see the moon rise on Saturday night – because it will already be eclipsed by the shadow of Earth.

If we are lucky enough to have a clear sky at dusk, be sure to have a look at the eastern sky. Even in the deepest part of the eclipse, the moon will not totally disappear from the sky. It will be bathed in ‘Earthshine’ - the reflected light from Earth. Have your camera ready - it will surely be a beautiful sight.

Do make a point of going out between 5 and 7 pm to see the best of the celestial show. Keeping in mind that by 10 pm, the moon will have fully emerged from the shadow – becoming its bright, beautiful self for the rest of the night.

It is the return of light to the sky that makes March such a delightful month. The longer days and the brighter moon both contribute to beating the winter blues.

 
Viki Mather is owner of Kukagami Lodge, a northern Ontario wilderness resort at the southern boundary of the Temagami forest. Web: www.kukagamilodge.com, email: lodge@kukagami.infosathse.com. Viki has lived in the wilderness for 26 years, without electricity or running water. Read these columns monthly to discover wonderful ways to live in harmony with nature, bring edible wilds into your kitchen, thrive without plugging into the grid, and enjoy a healthier life.