FULL MOON is at 8:08 pm according to NASA. Named the Cold Moon

Most of the time, the full moon isn’t perfectly full. We always see the same side of the moon, but part of it is in shadow, due to the moon’s rotation. Only when the moon, Earth and the sun are perfectly aligned is the moon 100% full, and that alignment produces a lunar eclipse.

And sometimes — once in a blue moon — the moon is full twice in a month (or four times in a season, depending on which definition you prefer).

The moon is a sphere that travels once around Earth every 27.3 days. It also takes about 27 days for the moon to rotate on its axis. So, the moon always shows us the same face; there is no single “dark side” of the moon. As the moon revolves around Earth, it is illuminated from varying angles by the sun — what we see when we look at the moon is reflected sunlight. On average, the moon rises about 50 minutes later each day, which means sometimes it rises during daylight and other times at night.

There are four phases of the moon, new moon, first quarter moon, full moon and third quarter moon.

At new moon, the moon is between Earth and the sun, so that the side of the moon facing toward us receives no direct sunlight, and is lit only by dim sunlight reflected from Earth.

A few days later, as the moon moves around Earth, the side we can see gradually becomes more illuminated by direct sunlight. This thin sliver is called the waxing crescent.

A week after the new moon, the moon is 90 degrees away from the sun in the sky and is half-illuminated from our point of view — what we call first quarter because it is about a quarter of the way around Earth.

A few days later, the area of illumination continues to increase. More than half of the moon’s face appears to be getting sunlight. This phase is called a waxing gibbous moon.

When the moon has moved 180 degrees from its new moon position, the sun, Earth and the moon form a line. The moon’s disk is as close as it can be to being fully illuminated by the sun, so this is called full moon.

Next, the moon moves until more than half of its face appears to be getting sunlight, but the amount is decreasing. This is the waning gibbous phase.

Days later, the moon has moved another quarter of the way around Earth, to the third quarter position. The sun’s light is now shining on the other half of the visible face of the moon.

Next, the moon moves into the waning crescent phase as less than half of its face appears to be getting sunlight, and the amount is decreasing.

Finally, the moon moves back to its new moon starting position. Because the moon’s orbit is not exactly in the same plane as Earth’s orbit around the sun, they rarely are perfectly aligned. Usually the moon passes above or below the sun from our vantage point, but occasionally it passes right in front of the sun, and we get an eclipse of the sun.

Each full moon is calculated to occur at an exact moment, which may or may not be near the time the moon rises where you are. So when a full moon rises, it’s typically doing so some hours before or after the actual time when it’s technically full, but a casual skywatcher won’t notice the difference. In fact, the moon will often look roughly the same on two consecutive nights surrounding the full moon.

Complimentary Yoga Class

Start your day with a complimentary yoga class here at Costanoa. Sanitized yoga mats provided or bring your own. Costanoa’s Activity Pod and the General Store sell designer and eco-friendly mats! We offer a 10% discount on our yoga gear to anyone who attends our class. Sign up required – please RSVP below. Namaste!

TIME:  10 am, Registration required, space is limited – please RSVP below

WHERE: Ranch House

AGES:  Recommended for adults

COST:  Free for registered guests. $10 for non-guests

Horseback Riding at Costanoa

Horseback riding is now available at Costanoa! Wrangler Heather and her trained team offer several different rides depending on ability and experience. The total time for each experience is as follows:

• 15 minute lead-line ride for younger riders with a brief equine orientation; ages 6+
• 30 minute equine orientation and short trail ride; ages 10+
• 1 hour equine orientation and trail ride; ages 12+

Trail rides are along Costanoa’s  scenic Sea View and Eucalyptus Grove trail.

NOTE: At this time, we are limited to three riders at a time (only one can be on a lead-line). (Weather permitting)

TIMES:  10 am – 1pm; Registration required, space is limited – please email [email protected] with a contact number so that we can call you for payment of the deposit and to get rider information. RSVPs are not confirmed until a $30 per rider deposit is made. A full refund is available if the cancellation is made more than 24 hours before your scheduled ride. Otherwise, the $30 per rider deposit is forfeited.

WHERE: Horse Stables (weather permitting)

AGES:  6+

COST:  $30 pp for the 15 minute lead-line ride; $50 for the 30 minute ride, and $100 for the 1 hour trail ride

BIRDWATCHING with our very own Dale Nelson

Join Dale as he provides us with an informative presentation on our feathered friends here at Costanoa. After the presentation, guests will embark on a birdwatching tour to spot and identify birds. Bring your binoculars if you have them, clothing for variable weather, and good walking shoes. Help us spot Costanoa’s feathered residents! Please RSVP below.

 TIME:  11 am (weather permitting)

WHERE: Ranch House (across from Cascade Restaurant)

AGES:  All ages

COST: Free for registered guests, please RSVP below

Horseback Riding at Costanoa

Horseback riding is now available at Costanoa! Wrangler Heather and her trained team offer several different rides depending on ability and experience. The total time for each experience is as follows:

• 15 minute lead-line ride for younger riders with a brief equine orientation; ages 5+
• 30 minute equine orientation and short trail ride; ages 10+
• 1 hour equine orientation and trail ride; ages 12+

Trail rides are along Costanoa’s  scenic Sea View and Eucalyptus Grove trail.

NOTE: At this time, we are limited to three riders at a time (only one can be on a lead-line).

TIMES:  10 am – 1pm; Registration required, space is limited – please email [email protected] with a contact number so that we can call you for payment of the deposit and to get rider information. RSVPs are not confirmed until a $30 per rider deposit is made. A full refund is available if the cancellation is made more than 24 hours before your scheduled ride. Otherwise, the $30 per rider deposit is forfeited.

WHERE: Horse Stables (weather permitting)

AGES:  5+

COST:  $30 pp for the 15 minute lead-line ride; $55 for the 30 minute ride, and $100 for the 1 hour trail ride session

Complimentary Yoga Class

Start your day with a complimentary yoga class here at Costanoa. Sanitized yoga mats provided or bring your own. Costanoa’s Activity Pod and the General Store sell designer and eco-friendly mats! We offer a 10% discount on our yoga gear to anyone who attends our class. Sign up required – please RSVP below. Namaste!

TIME:  10 am, Registration required, space is limited – please RSVP below

WHERE: Redwood Oak Room in the Lodge

AGES:  Recommended for adults

COST:  Free for registered guests. $10 for non-guests

Horseback Riding at Costanoa

Horseback riding is now available at Costanoa! Wrangler Heather and her trained team offer several different rides depending on ability and experience. The total time for each experience is as follows:

• 15 minute lead-line ride for younger riders with a brief equine orientation; ages 6+
• 30 minute equine orientation and short trail ride; ages 10+
• 1 hour equine orientation and trail ride; ages 12+

Trail rides are along Costanoa’s  scenic Sea View and Eucalyptus Grove trail.

NOTE: At this time, we are limited to three riders at a time (only one can be on a lead-line). (Weather permitting)

TIMES:  10 am – 1pm; Registration required, space is limited – please email [email protected] with a contact number so that we can call you for payment of the deposit and to get rider information. RSVPs are not confirmed until a $30 per rider deposit is made. A full refund is available if the cancellation is made more than 24 hours before your scheduled ride. Otherwise, the $30 per rider deposit is forfeited.

WHERE: Horse Stables (weather permitting)

AGES:  6+

COST:  $30 pp for the 15 minute lead-line ride; $50 for the 30 minute ride, and $100 for the 1 hour trail ride