>That's what you get for asking such a good question.
>I've seen it many times before.
I too have seen (and asked) similar questions before in various contexts. As it turns out there is little language to describe effects such as the moon's and sun's reflections on water. The effect provides endless fascination for many of us, and I’ve often questioned why this is. First of all if one looks at the water one can notice a symmetrical mirror image of, say, the moon in the water with the horizon as the 'fold' between the 'real' and reflected light – this is your classic ‘moonglade’.
If one looks at the crests of waves, and little ripples gathering on a shoreline though, one recognizes endless little moons nested within the folds of water – just as each droplet on a car window holds an upside-down view of the view of outside relative to its own size. If one retreats to the distance of, say, the ISS, our moon’s reflection spans whole seas of course. Does the word ‘moonglade’ do all this justice? The idea of 'self-similarity across scales' and the scientific field called 'chaos theory' seems to have some pertinence here, but I’ll resist trying to relate anything ‘bout that. The bewildering thing though is that this 'organised chaos' (great term, hey) seems to be in practically everything we do - though this comes as little surprise to many ‘less educated’ people, I suppose.
Much can be said on the topic, but it is infused with a mystery which the moon, oceans and seas, clearly embody. Water’s staggering power and potential for destruction has, of course, been made horrifically clear in recent weeks. And when you look into another person’s eyes standing on the water’s edge, and see in them the reflection of the water's reflection, of the moon's reflection of the sun's glow, there is a sense of very personal awe and universal beauty that can make your knees weak.
"The sea isn't a place but a fact, and a mystery." Mary Oliver
