It's Going to be a New Day in Florida

Postcard US-3141369 to USA was a vintage card showing a night scene under the full moon in Florida.

The clock has struck midnight on the East Coast. It marks a new day in Florida as it became the latest of 36 states and Washington D.C. in the U.S. where same-sex couples can now legally marry. Many courthouses in South Florida open overnight to issue marriage licenses and hold wedding ceremonies.

It was a drawn-out battle since the same-sex marriage ban, part of the State Constitution Amendment 2, passed with a 62% voter approval in 2008. In the end, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi's many appeals, a bogus legal advice from a private law firm to clerks, and the last minute attempts from a conservative legal group Liberty Counsel, can not turn back tide.

Bears Star

Postcard RU-3035257 from Russia shows a fantasy illustration "Bears Star" by Russian artist Galla Yegorenkova, where Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, along with a full moon, were guiding ships through a cold, rough sea. 

Canada Geese and Moon

Postcard DE-3239862 from Germany shows "Canada Geese and Moon." According to Wikipedia, "the Canada goose (Branta canadensis) is a goose with a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brown body. Native to arctic and temperate regions of North America."

Finding Luck on Friday the 13th

I found interesting that someone would choose a card, as shown on US-2741852, with a set of dices. Maybe she understood that I, living in the Sin City, could use more chances and lucks. Las Vegas Sun, a local newspaper, ran an article today arguing 13 reasons  for Las Vegas to be a lucky place even on Friday the 13th. Some of the postcards happen to show those lucky places mentioned in that article. Among them are the Brahma Shrine at Caesar Palace, Statues at Caesars Palace, Bellagio Fountains, and the Welcome Sign,

Did I also mention that there was a full moon at its perigee as well? Awoo...

Mid-Autumn Festival

I received a postcard from Taiwan today. It is one of the serious of Taiwan Retrospective Exhibition by Jau Pang Hsu, documenting farming with black and white. Its arrival coincides the Mid-Autumn Festival which is September 19 in 2013. 

The Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節/中秋节) is a popular harvest festival celebrated by people from Asia on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar, during a full moon, which occurs in late September or early October in the Gregorian calendar, close to the autumnal equinox. Family members are gathering and eating moon cakes for celebration. It's similar to the Thanksgiving in the U.S. 

Supermoon

Full Moon at Flamingo Hotel, Las Vegas

The expired postcard US-1895485 was sent to Netherlands on October 2, 2012. It shows a full moon over the Flamingo Hotel on September 30, 2012.

On Sunday, June 23, 2013 at 4:32 am PDT (11:32 UTC / 7:32 am EDT), the moon was at its perigee point, the point in the moon orbit that is closest to the center of the earth. Whenever that happens as the moon also enters its fullest phase, it creates a coincidence called "supermoon". At its fullest and closest, the moon appears about 12% larger in the sky.

In the middle of the picture shows the supermoon in the evening of June 22, 2013 while on the right shows a full moon on September 30, 2012. The difference between the two is shown on the left.

The previous two supermoons happened on March 19, 2011 and on May 6, 2012. The next superMoon will be on August 10, 2014. 

I wish I were in Alaska so that I could see the supermoon in the midnight sun. You can see photos of the supermoon at Huffington Post, Baltimore Sun, EarthSky.ORG and Space.COM.