Supermoon Sleepout

On March 19, Nick and I continued our full moon tradition with a campout in Lake Leelanau.

Once again, we celebrated a special confluence of astronomical events. In September, the full moon coincided with the autumnal equinox. In December, a full moon and lunar eclipse ushered in the winter solstice. In March, it was a "supermoon" on the night before the vernal equinox. (The scientific details: The moon was at perigee, the point in its orbit that's closest to the Earth. Perigee happens every year, but it corresponds with the full moon only once every 20 years or so, resulting in an appearance about 14% larger and 30% brighter than a normal full moon.)

We were lucky enough to have clear skies to view the phenomenon. But, unlike in December when the moon was extinguished and the night got extra-dark, this month we felt like we were sleeping under a spotlight all night long. And, unlike in December when we slept up on the yurt platform with a pile of snow beneath us, this time we spread our tarp and sleeping bags nearby right on the grass - dry grass! And instead of leaving the dogs tucked inside a warm house, we brought them along. We hoped they'd curl up beside us with blankets tucked over them, which they did - most of the night. A few times, Maisie was compelled to hop up (wearing my down vest that I'd snapped around her) to bark at something down the hill on one side of our ridge or the other. I suppose, for a night with not only a full moon but an extra-bright spotlight of a supermoon, we should be glad we managed any sleep at all!