Tim Speer's Blog - Posts Tagged "stars"
Saturn at opposition
Saturn is now at opposition, meaning it's bigger and brighter than at any other time. Saturn and its rings are easily visible through even a small telescope.
Maybe I'm just wierd, but looking through a telescope at the heavens always makes me feel closer to God. It gives me a reminder of just how awesome his creation really is.
Maybe I'm just wierd, but looking through a telescope at the heavens always makes me feel closer to God. It gives me a reminder of just how awesome his creation really is.
The Greatest Show Not on Earth
Today I got up, and went out for a morning run before sunrise. Looking up at the sky to the east, I could see that the planetary conjunction has definitely begun. Jupiter and Mars are now so close together, that you have to look closely to see Mars through Jupiter's bright glow. And Venus lies about three moon widths above, and is closing in on the other two.
Swinging to the south, Canis Major, now two months separated from the dog days, looms brightly. From there, one can trace the path of the Milky Way north, as it goes through the bright stars of Orion, Taurus, Perseus, and Cassiopeia. As I run, I can't help but marvel at how truly grand God's creation is.
Looking at the stars this morning, I think of the times when I have been out under truly dark skies, such as in Big Bend. And I can suddenly imagine the sailors of long ago, such as those that might have been sailing with Columbus or Magellan. As trying and hard as their voyages might have been, I can picture a lone sailor standing on the deck, on a clear night, when the sea was calm, looking at the stars and thinking, it's all worth it. In the case of these two examples, that sailor quite possibly would have been clutching a string of Rosary beads in his hand. May the Star of the Sea shine upon you.
Swinging to the south, Canis Major, now two months separated from the dog days, looms brightly. From there, one can trace the path of the Milky Way north, as it goes through the bright stars of Orion, Taurus, Perseus, and Cassiopeia. As I run, I can't help but marvel at how truly grand God's creation is.
Looking at the stars this morning, I think of the times when I have been out under truly dark skies, such as in Big Bend. And I can suddenly imagine the sailors of long ago, such as those that might have been sailing with Columbus or Magellan. As trying and hard as their voyages might have been, I can picture a lone sailor standing on the deck, on a clear night, when the sea was calm, looking at the stars and thinking, it's all worth it. In the case of these two examples, that sailor quite possibly would have been clutching a string of Rosary beads in his hand. May the Star of the Sea shine upon you.
