We all anticipated April 8th- a total solar eclipse here in Fredericksburg, Texas! The next total solar eclipse won’t be visible across the contiguous United States again until August 2044. I like to think of the eclipse as the moon’s showstopper. For almost four minutes the moon appeared to totally block the sun. The sun’s corona only a thin ring and Baily’s bead shining like a diamond. In October we saw an annular solar eclipse with the moon blocking the sun showcasing a fierce ring of fire. Two amazing events in our sky.

With these events we may overlook the fact that every month the moon takes center stage to shine fully. A bright orb visible in the sky, marking the seasons. The moon has long been a keeper of time, a sign of nature’s seasons, a reminder of change. Before our modern calendar, the moon guided life. The moon was given names to acknowledge the lunar cycle and the passage of time. The moon names used in The Old Farmer’s Almanac come from Native American, Colonial American, or other traditional North American sources passed down through generations.

Under a Full Moon celebrates the moon. Along with the two lunar showstoppers - totality and ring of fire - 13 additional pieces express the common, and maybe not so common, names of each monthly full moon as well as the seasonal blue moon. This is my abstract interpretation of the moon in full force. Maybe you, like me, will be moonstruck.