
Earthshine
On certain nights
When the angles are right
And the moon is a slender crescent
It’s circle shows
In a ghostly glow
Of earthly luminescence
Earthshine
A beacon in the night
I can raise my eyes to earthshine
Earthshine
But you’re out of reach
Form a dream to rise to earthshine
Floating high
In the evening sky
I see my faint reflection
Pale facsimile
Like what others see
When they look in my direction
Earthshine
Stretching out your hand
Full of starlit diamonds earthshine
Reflected light
To another’s sight
And the moon tells a lover’s story
My borrowed face
And my third-hand grace
Only reflect your glory
Earthshine
You’re still out of reach
Form a dream to rise to earthshine
Neil Peart, a Canadian songwriter and drummer with the rock band, Rush, penned the lyrics to the song, Earthshine, included on the hard rock band’s 2002 album, Vapor Trails. “Peart, one-third of the Toronto band Rush, was one of the world’s most worshipped drummers, unleashing his unearthly skills upon rotating drum kits that grew to encompass what seemed like every percussive possibility within human invention,” wrote Brian Hiatt in RollingStone magazine.
Neil died in January 2020 from glioblastoma.
The NASA Space Observatory website features an image, overlaid with Peart’s Earthshine lyrics, and a description of the phenomenon.
Earthshine has been described by native American tribes as “the old moon resting in the new moon’s arms” which is a description I’m particularly fond of. Basically, Earthshine is sunlight that has taken a detour. Earth’s reflected glow from the Sun bounces to the Moon and then back to our eyes, enabling us to see the Moon’s ‘dark side’.


Patricia Gillard says
I love all your photographs prayer they are so beautiful thank you for sharing Lyn
Judy says
Absolutely lovely photos.
Emily P Saile says
Such beautiful images, Diana! Peaceful….
Jan says
Amazing images. All your hard work is showing!