A Starry Night

I’ve mentioned my good friend Ed in some of my other posts. We often see things differently and he helps broaden my horizons. Several years ago he sent a picture from the website Astronomy Picture of the Day. I was so impressed I made it part of my routine to view the page before starting my day. It reminds me of the vastness of all that is.

Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius put it this way. “Watch the stars in their courses and imagine yourself running alongside them. Think constantly on the changes of the elements into each other, for such thoughts wash away the dust of earthly life.” The dark skies of ancient Rome are hard to find today. The Astronomy Picture of the Day is an excellent substitute. 

I take advantage of dark skies whenever possible. On a trip to west Texas we drove about fifteen miles outside of town just to look at the night sky. On a rafting trip through the Grand Canyon wonder was all around us for five days. When I would wake up in the middle of the night and look at the sky, I was so excited by what I saw that it was hard to go back to sleep.

The Universe is infinitely large and infinitely small. That can be proven mathematically. What is the largest number? What is the smallest number? Adding zeros to either, I come up with a number ten times bigger or ten times smaller. Looking at the Astronomy Picture of the Day helps me put things into perspective. Or as Marcus said, “Such thoughts wash away the dust of earthly life.” Recent psychological research has confirmed the benefits of experiencing wonder often. 

I especially like looking at galaxies. They are just like atoms, particles spinning around a center with lots of empty space. The endless circle of existence keeps repeating itself, just on different scales. The picture of the day on July 13th, 2022 is especially impressive to me.https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220713.html

The elements in my body came from the recycled particles of exploded stars. I am literally stardust. Remembering that and the truth of existence beyond my earthly cares produces wonder inside of me, which is very good for my soul.

May you have enough today, one moment at a time.