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It was only the second time I’d seen it through the telescope. But there it was, clear and distinct, with the black of the void peeking out from between its “handles” and the orb itself, just to remind us of its identity.
After Coffee Theology earlier, Diane and I drove down the airport, stood on the runway with the telescope and stargazed for a little while. It was the first time she’d been to the airport and spying not only Saturn, as referenced above, but also Jupiter with three of the four Galilean moons in evidence, was a treat. The night was chilly and I should’ve worn an undershirt, and the floodlight from the main hangar hampered our eyes’ adjustment to the dark, but I loved that she was there with me. She let me explain about the plane of the ecliptic and the Jovian rotational cycle and didn’t seem fazed at all, but rather seemed to enjoy it. Have I mentioned it meant the world that she was there?
For all my talk of losing the wonder with the acquisition of knowledge and familiarity, little of that came to bear on the night’s activity. If anything, seeing the planets “up close,” tracing the Lion and finding Arcturus magnified the sense of awe and wonder at God’s creation. He created those bodies, whipped ’round our sun in the cold void, and sustains the universe continually with His power.
I think I am in awe of His creativity most of all. That quality’s been a strong emphasis in my life for as long as I can remember, being a creative individual and then being involved for as many years as I was with Odyssey of the Mind, an organization whose central focus is creativity. I can’t get my mind around the magnitude of God’s creativity. If we define the attribute as the ability to create something new, we must allow that in order to create something truly new, one either has to experience a tremendous stroke of chance in that no one has ever created before what we have, or that we are aware of everything single thing that has come before us and thus know that what we are creating owes nothing to the old. In short, in this world, for us, it is effectively impossible to create something truly new. Outside influences will always impinge on our process of creation. We are never as purely creative as we would like to think we are. But consider God, to have created the universe entire ex nihilo (from nothing) with no prior reference–the quasi-infinite creativity demonstrated in Him. Phenomenal.
I’ve decided I want to go camping in the middle-of-nowhere, South Dakota. Or North Dakota.
Now that pretty much everybody and their cousin has moved in and developed this area… I miss seeing the stars. :(
It’s hard to find someplace with little light pollution. The best stargazing I’ve ever had was in December ’02, during the big ice storm, when the power was out for several days. It was pitch dark at night (and freezing too) but the stars were so, so clear.
Jovian Grace.
I love you. It was beautiful. I am still thinking and talking about that tiny little ball with ears.
I love you too. I’m in a glow today thinking about how you were there with me to experience that. It was beautiful, but the greater beauty for me was within arm’s reach…
She let me explain about the plane of the ecliptic and the Jovian rotational cycle and didn’t seem fazed at all
That’s funny :o)
We only drive at night once on our trip west. We were in remote Montana (unfortunately the sun didn’t fully set until we were almost in civilization ~10:30pm), and there were so, so many stars/galaxies. It was beautiful. I wonder what it would have been like around 1:00am when no light was around.
from David in Kauai
The skies are dark in Kaua’i with no city lights to wash over them. It’s been rainy and cloudy most of the time I’ve been here, but today it is clear. The stars are vivid; the night sky turns black, deep black. We have a telescope here, but I haven’t used it yet. It’s gotta stop raining at night.
Sounds like everything is well in Winston. Any luck with roomates? Has Dan come by yet?
I worked as a trail guide on Monday. Solid day of work. I’ll know in the next day or so if I got the job there. I’m also checking out the agencies here on the island as well as exploring my life as a painter and sculptor. I found a neat piece of driftwood that I’m working on right now. The form will suggest a whale breaching the surf.
That would have been ideal. It hasn’t been dark enough in a long time for me to see the Milky Way and I’ve missed it.
Hey D-funk. I’m jealous. Use that telescope! Have I mentioned I’m jealous?
No, no roommates yet but Harsha is sticking around for a while yet. His project is really dragging out and he’s looking for another job within the company. Dan hasn’t come by yet. I’ll give him a call before too long.
Excited to hear about the trail guide experience :) Take pictures!