Both in his book and TV series Cosmos, Dr. Carl Sagan states,   “Virtually every newspaper in America has a daily column on astrology; there are hardly any that have even a weekly column on astronomy.”  I hope we can change that.

The focus of this column will be on “naked eye” observing: the moon, the planets, the constellations, the bright stars, clusters of stars, comets, the Milky Way Galaxy, our Local Group of Galaxies and beyond. We will discuss current events, historical information including the planetary missions, and the legends about the night sky.

For me, observing the night sky is a wonderful activity that I have enjoyed solo as well as sharing with my spouse, children, and friends.  I find it a pleasant change from being in the house watching TV.  It’s free, it’s quiet, and it’s relaxing since the sky moves at a slow pace, taking an hour for a star or constellation to move 15 degrees.  I enjoy the solitude and the quiet sharing.

What we can see with our unaided eye is what most humans have seen since the dawn of time. The telescope came into use in the early 1600s, so it is only in the last 400 years that humans have been able to see and know more about the planets and stars than all the humans who came before.

When I look at the stars, constellations, and the Milky Way in the night sky, something from deep within stirs, something from long ago.  I can best describe it as a connection to the ancients, a shared experience with our ancestors.

For me, particular settings trigger feelings of connectedness to all who have come before:

•Staring into a blazing wood fire and warming my hands over it

•Marveling at and wondering about the same planets and star patterns that the ancients saw in the dark night sky

•Hearing the ancient legends about the stars and constellations

These are connections, links through all of human history and to the distant past.  I take great comfort in finding and reflecting on these shared experiences. The more I learn about the night sky, the closer or more connected I feel to both the human family and the Cosmos.

Dr. Sagan is the first person I heard say, “We are made of star stuff.  We are a way for the Cosmos to know itself.”  We are part of the fabric of the Universe, composed of the same atoms that are found throughout the Cosmos.  And as such we are part of the Human Family, the Earth, the Solar System, the Milky Way Galaxy, the Local Group of Galaxies, the Virgo Supercluster, the Cosmos.

A.C. Holm’s poem The Infinite Stars begins to capture my sentiments:

I stand at night and gaze up at the sky,

A huge, inverted bowl above my head;

Upon its blue-black concave surface spread,

Unnumbered twinkling lights intrigue my eye.

…

And as I marvel at this vast array,

My spirit bows in deep humility.

             

I find myself thinking, “Before I go, I long to know, where I have been.”

The subtitle of Cosmos is A Personal Voyage, so I invite you to make this column a part of your personal voyage of the Cosmos.

Clear skies.