It was pretty rare to stare up at a dark sky full of sparkly stars while growing up between streetlights and neon pizza signs.
Now if we went camping or up to a friend’s cottage, that was a different story. That’s when we could zip open our tent or lie on the dock and just gaze up at the twinkly beauty above us all. We’d just tilt our necks, drop our jaws, and wonder how big it was, how far it went, and what the tentacled, saliva-covered aliens looking back at us were thinking.
It didn’t happen too often, but every once in a while somebody would pick out a few bright stars and point out a constellation way up there. Light years away, worlds apart, and sparkling for all eternity, we heard stories about bulls, belt buckles, and the personal business of many Greek Gods.
Of course, I could only ever see one thing up there myself: The Big Dipper aka The Plough. Sometimes I thought I’d see another one only to have an older kid tell me I was looking at a plane, a blinking satellite or, occasionally, the moon.
That’s why when you actually point out a constellation in outer space you feel like a genius astro-cosmologist with a PhD in Good Eyesight. You’re no longer the dude responsible for finding marshmallow roasting sticks, grabbing bug spray from the tent, or dumping a pail of water onto the campfire before we head to bed. No, now you’re a worldly space explorer raising your eyebrows and pointing out the window as we all fly forward through the darkness.
AWESOME!
Photos from: here
Illustration from: here
I used to be able to point out the Southern Cross, but I haven’t looked for it for a while.
But on a semi-related note, the moon was HUGE last night! So preeeeetty.
YES! The moon was HUGE here too and don’t you think to be able to share *this and *that, is just SO VERY COOL! I mean…Awesome :)))
The first night I spent in my new pad, the sky was one of the most amazing I’ve ever seen: mushrooming-marsh-mellow, cotton candy clouds, with something I’ve never seen before- colours of the rainbow shining through!! Formed, I imagine, from the water with the setting sun. And as if that wasn’t enough, I awoke in the middle of the night to discover the Big Dipper right outside my bedroom window! I leapt up and star gazed for awhile, reflecting on so many camping expeditions and times we slept out under the open sky doing exactly what you’ve said here- in this post…AND the conversation *my friends and I had* with the tentacle saliva cover aliens.
(fyi, Sheldon Cooper believes me:)
I can point out the Big and Little Dipper and Orion
Wow, you guys are cool! I’m a big dipper girl and the rest are just so many points of light. I’ve even gone to several planetarium displays, but I still can’t find the constellations or tell ya what’s going on up there. All I can say is that it is one big beautiful sky, though!
I used to only be able to point out the Big Dipper and the moon, but recently I’ve learned how to find the North Star. That probably doesn’t really count as a constellation, though. Anyway, the stars are a really amazing thing to see at night, especially if there’s a lot of them. One day I shall learn all of the constellations, and be master of the night sky. I also really like the moon. I like pretty much everything about the night sky. One day I want to go somewhere in the north to see the northern lights.
MAX!! You’re back! ^.^
:-)
It’s awesome to see you and the pink elephant back here!
I hope your dream to experience the Aurora Borealis light show will come true for you one day. They are quite magnificent! Some cultures believe once you have experienced the northern lights, you are forever blessed with good fortune. When you do go, the most spectacular shows are between septmber and february. Remember this too, clap, whistle and dance about for the lights will become even brighter, more colourful and vibrant, move closer and even dance with you! TRUE!
http://www.macsadventure.com/holiday-1308/icelands-glaciers-and-northern-lights-group?gclid=CJjchLbdmLkCFYdxQgod7S0Abw
Hi, Max!!!