Wednesday, September 9, 2015

The Milky Way - Just another awesome evening star gazing!

Sometimes we lose the forest for the trees.

And I am no exception. I am embarrassed to tell you how many telescopes I have, all of which have different purposes, but all of which look at "trees."

There is something wonderful that is missed looking at (or trying to find) the "trees" (galaxies, nebula, planets, etc.) What is missed is the "forest," that great expanse of the starry hosts, especially when the Milky Way is front and center. There is just something awesome about laying on your back, head up and gazing at it!

Suddenly for all your desire to see other galaxies you finally notice your own! And then you begin to think about just how far you are from the center of your own galaxy and yet, there it is! Then you begin to look at all the individual stars you can see around you and how you are floating on a orb in space, completely surrounded by magnificent suns, burning in a variety of colors. And then it strikes you... that for all the scientific facts we know about these stars which we can see with our naked eye, only the one that is below the horizon, our Sun, has a habitable planet in the "Goldilocks" zone (not too hot, not too cold). And here I am, enjoying the view of the Creator's handiwork, the great canvas of the night sky, not caught up in equipment and gear but simply looking at the "forest"!

This is an 8 minute exposure at ISO 800, f/4.5 wide angle lens. You can see the brilliant star Vega at the top edge) all the way down to the top of the constellation Sagittarius.



Comments or questions are always welcomed (well, as least nice ones)!

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