The Stars Within 656.3
According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, two-thirds of the world’s population, including almost everyone in the Continental United States and Europe, no longer see a starry sky where they live.
|
|
The reason: City lights prevent us from seeing much more than a canopy of gray shadows. What a pity. In rural or remote areas with little or no artificial lights, about 2,000 stars can be seen on a clear night, and the experience can be breathtaking.
Whether we credit God or physics, how can we avoid the conclusion that our cosmos is governed by forces that dwarf anything our simple species can muster? How can we not feel like transitory snowflakes in a universe that measures time in billions of years and space in trillions of miles?
At the same time, a star-filled sky can be both empowering and inspiring. It can cause us to ponder the meaning and purpose of our lives and has ignited the imagination of poets, philosophers, theologians, and scientists for centuries.
It’s bad enough that the technology of contemporary civilization prevents us from seeing the extraterrestrial stars. It’s worse when we allow the shallow values and frenetic pace of modern society to prevent us from seeing and following the aspirations and principles that are our own internal guiding stars.
Every day we’re challenged to rise above petty office politics, senseless family conflicts, negative emotions, and unbridled ego so we can live our lives large and be worthy of our place in the universe.
We may not be able to see the stars by looking up, but if we close our eyes and look inward, we can find and follow the best within us.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
Subscribe
Comments
An interesting coincidence: 656.3 is the wavelength in nanometers of Hydrogen Alpha, one of the most observed emission lines in stars.
Posted by: Human | February 2, 2010 6:02 PM
I lived in New York City during the time of Halley's Comet's last visit. Because of the intense light of the city and the fact my apartment was facing the opposite direction, it was impossible to see anything more than the moon. When I did finally get out to the countryside, it rained the whole time. It was so frustrating, especially as we were all bombarded by books, articles, eyewitness accounts, TV shows, and romance concerning Halley's Comet. Halley's was expected and had a tight schedule to keep; unfortunately, I knew I would not live to see it again and felt cheated. But that's when I had an epiphany: Even though I could not see it, I knew from all these testimonies that it existed. That's what faith is all about. I made up my mind to make every effort to see the next comet and was richly rewarded when I moved to Virginia in 1996/97 and saw both newly discovered comets, Hyakutake and Hale-Bopp; both totally unexpected. Hale-Bopp stayed for about 18 months, but certainly didn't wear out its welcome; it may have been the brightest comet in recorded history. I truly felt privileged to see them and only then did I consider myself a full member of the universe. It was magical. Opportunity is also like this: Miss one and another, even better, is likely to appear if you, as Jack Horkheimer, of Star Gazer, reminds us, "Keep looking up."
Posted by: A.M. Whittaker | February 4, 2010 7:09 AM
Refreshing article and well worth pondering on. Thanks!
Posted by: Dorothy Argent | February 4, 2010 6:25 PM
Isn't it interesting that if we get out of our boxes, there is wonderful world out there with so many opportunities for growth? Our biggest challenge should be prioritizing the opportunities to effectively plan and implement our life's work.
Posted by: Dan | February 5, 2010 8:17 AM
Wonderful article. As a Character Counts enthusiast and amateur astronomer, I'm heartened to see increased concern for protecting the night sky. If you care as I do, consider joining the nonprofit International Dark Sky Association (www.darksky.org). They are making a difference.
Posted by: Manny | February 6, 2010 8:07 AM