Have you ever looked up at the sky at night? If you live someplace where it's really dark, it's an amazing sight. Just this morning when I was walking my dog while it was still dark I looked up, and there in the sky was an old friend. The constellation Orion the Hunter, was right there with his trusty dogs right behind him. When I was younger I discovered Orion, hunting across the winter sky. In the fall he appears in the early morning in the southwest sky - at least this is when I typically find him. In the winter, he hunts in the evening and by spring, he is back to the morning, heading northwest. I find it amazing that when I glance up there at him I feel as if I am seeing an old friend. He was the first constellation that I taught my daughter to find, followed by his sky mates, the Seven Sisters, & the Big and Little Dipper. We know them all now.
Back in the days of the European explorers, they used the constellations to guide their way. Prince Henry of Portugal the most famous of them. Given the name Prince Henry the Navigator he learned to use the stars to guide his way. He developed maps and navigational instruments, some of which are still used today. Can you imagine being on the open sea and not really knowing which direction you are going? Back in those days it was believed that the earth was flat and that they might sail right off the edge. Those were also the days that many people believed in sea monsters. The stars were a gift to those early explorers. They could tell exactly where they were at any time just by looking up.
When I lived in Virginia, I didn't have to drive very far to have the sky light up before me. Back in those days I drove a convertible red Jeep Wrangler. I would wait for dark and put the top down on my Jeep. I'd drive a little south and a little east of where I lived where there was a great state park. I'd take a snack and watch the deer jump the fences in the moonlight and then I'd look up. What an amazement! There was the milky way laid out before me - a river of stars twinkling like tiny diamonds. Just like the song. I'd put a little Dave Matthews Band in the CD player and there you are a perfect night. Listening to Dave and staring in wonder at the galaxy.
It's still amazing to me when I look up and see the stars and the heavens twinkling as they have for centuries since time began. I am always reminded of the creation story in the Bible. Can't you just picture God, the creator of everything opening up his hand and tossing the stars in the sky just like glitter. Instead of the glitter falling to earth, it just stuck in the inky blackness of the night sky, forming the milky way and all of the constellations that have fascinated mankind for all of our history here on earth. I believe it was the Greeks and Romans who found their gods in the stars. They made up stories to account for their movement across the sky. Little did they know that it was actually the earth's rotation seemingly moving the constellations across the sky. Still an amazement to me.
Every now and then I get on Google Earth and look at the photos of our country taken from a satellite out in space and it is amazing to me when I look at those pictures how much light is emitted from our cities and towns. It almost looks like the heavens on earth. What's even more amazing is that we can even see the stars at all. It's almost as if we need it to be as light at night as it is during the day. I could see it if our cars didn't have headlights, but they do and darned good ones at that. Luckily here in The Great State of Oregon there are still lots of wide open dark spaces. Portland is our largest city and all you have to do is get just outside the city limits in any direction and you can find yourself in the pitch black darkness.
I would encourage anybody old or young, to grab a towel, a blanket or a lounge chair and head for a wide open dark spot. Lay down and look up. I promise you will be amazed by what you see! Just so you know Dave Matthews goes great with the stars especially his Under the Table and Dreaming CD with the hit "Satellite" a re work of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Enjoy the view it is indeed breath taking. Cheers!
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