Kind of a wonderful thing

[aesc]

My parents live on the fringes of the middle of nowhere.

A couple nights ago, I took the dog out for a walk, looked up, and saw the Milky Way for the first time in years. So many stars, so many, and they seemed so close, and looking at them I could understand why thousands of years ago people told stories about men and women changed into stars, and why today we tell stories about people lucky enough to travel through them.

Then, somewhere in the neighborhood of Venus, I saw a shooting star.

And that was kind of a wonderful thing.

* * *

In other news: To come back to the prosaic, I have an account over at Twitter. slian_martreb tugged me over the cliff face.

Oh! And I had my preview of the_oscar_cat's reading of the kissing ficlet I posted over at sheafrotherdon's LJ, and she makes it poetry. I can't wait to hear the rest.

Comments

[let-fate-decide.livejournal.com]

One of the most important things I've learned while living in this state, is the natural beauty of the sky and its stars once you've traveled far enough away from the city's distracting lights. Arcturus and Venus and the places so far away that we can only dream of knowing, bright and shining and always there, whenever we feel the need for wanderlust.

Oh, space, how I adore you and your vastness.<3.

[aesc.livejournal.com]

When I was a kid, the neighborhood we lived in was kind of isolated, and we could see so much--even the Milky Way on clear nights. Then the area contracted building leprosy, and by the time I left we were lucky to see the brighter stars and the major constellations, but that was it. It was pretty depressing.

My dream job would take me to a college town with nothing else around it so I can have nights like the one I just had. I kind of need that sky, you know?

[let-fate-decide.livejournal.com]

Mhm, it's the same around here. We live on the outskirts (but not really the outskirts, you know?) of the southwestern part of town, where the land beyond our neighborhood is just... land, for the most part. And a mile beyond that, is the lake, which is perfect for stargazing on clear nights (which we get a fair amount of during summer.)

Oh, I know. When I go to see my horse (who's near the lake, actually) and we leave and it's already dark, the openness just amazes me. If I didn't hate it here so much, I would love to stay, if for just that reason.

It confuses (and frustrates, for that matter) me when people don't need that kind of sky, that kind of freedom.

(lmfao, I'm an idiot; I posted a new comment instead of replying xD)

[let-fate-decide.livejournal.com]

('Cause seriously, how awesome (http://www.cosmotography.com/images/closeup_m95.jpg) is space.)

[aesc.livejournal.com]

How awesome is that???

If I had the courage and the money, I'd be one of the first to sign up for civilian space travel. The courage I can work on, but the money... Clearly I'll have to marry someone rich, and indicate in the prenup that this is the sole condition upon which I will marry him.

That we live in an age that can even entertain the possibility... Wow.

[ex-louisacla292.livejournal.com]

I live in the middle of nowhere in the Mojave Desert. When I sleep underneath the night sky, I think of the cowboys of yesteryear and wonder what they thought of when they watched the stars. My favorite cowboy movie quote about stargazing:

“You know, layin’ out nights on your saddle alone … and nobody to talk to … nuthin’ to do … you get to feelin’ kinda friendly with ‘em.”

~ Dick Bailey "The Light of Western Stars" 1930

[aesc.livejournal.com]

“You know, layin’ out nights on your saddle alone … and nobody to talk to … nuthin’ to do … you get to feelin’ kinda friendly with ‘em.”

Oh, how lovely. Thank you so much for sharing it!

[yellowvalley.livejournal.com]

I lived and worked out in Death Valley for a year in 2001/02. I was literally able to see one shooting star per night, and could watch as our satellites moved across the sky it was so dark. You could see them turn, as well, because of the amount of light different surfaces of the satellites reflected. It was amazing.

While I was there, we had a huge meteor shower, where for about 3 hours, no matter where you looked in the sky, there was always at least one shooting star. It was one of the best nights of my life, something I will never forget.

What's funny? Is that if you looked at the horizon of one of the mountain ranges, you could see the lights of Las Vegas like a glow, almost like the sun was coming up, and the lights of the planes coming in to land at the airport.

[yellowvalley.livejournal.com]

Oh, here is a link to my favorite pic of the Milky Way over Death Valley.


http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070508.html

[aesc.livejournal.com]

You could see them turn, as well, because of the amount of light different surfaces of the satellites reflected. It was amazing.

Oh my God. I don't think I ever would have slept. That's just remarkable.

It was one of the best nights of my life, something I will never forget.

When the Hale-Bopp comet visited us, my family dragged out our home-made telescope and watched it every night until it disappeared. And it never got old--we'd be out there for hours, until my mom persuaded us into bed, but I could have watched until the second I couldn't see it anymore.

[yellowvalley.livejournal.com]

Yeah. A couple months after I got there, a guy moved in next door with binoculars. It was amazing what you could see with just regular binoculars on a clear night.

Almost every night that I got off late, I didn't enter the dorms until I saw at least one shooting star. The longest I waited was thirty minutes. :)

[foxxcub.livejournal.com]

I could understand why thousands of years ago people told stories about men and women changed into stars, and why today we tell stories about people lucky enough to travel through them.

This? Must be ficced.

[aesc.livejournal.com]

This? Must be ficced.

Heh. It's kind of indirect meta, because I ragingly envy the Atlantis expedition, the crews of the various Enterprises (and Voyager and DS9), and pretty much anyone else in any science fiction-type work I've read, heard, or seen.

I mean, stars. And yeah, space battles might be more interesting on TV, but dammit, just to be there is kind of the point.

[foxxcub.livejournal.com]

LOL. You were being all metaphysical and deep and poignant, and here I am writing fluff in my head where Rodney's showing John constellations and stuff on a planet where the stars are huge. /dork

[aesc.livejournal.com]

Hey, I will take boys and stars any way I can get them -- fluffy and/or metaphysical :D Especially Rodney; it's so clear he loves what he does, and when he gets going on his favorite subjects, I have to sigh, squee, and be happy for him, because I know what it's like.

(Not the astrophysics [God no], but the loving what you do.)

[windswept1.livejournal.com]

Wow! that sounds lovely... I've always wnated to see the milky Way but never managed to. there are either too few stars or too many! I used to get to see Orion a lot whenever I was growing up though.