Look Ma,
What's that star?
It's just a passing plane.
Grandma sighs so sadly,
The nights just aren't the same;
I'm sure they used to be darker;
Wonder filled the skies;
Where have all the stars gone?
Could it be my failing eyes?
Too many of our children
Haven't known a true dark night;
Will they ever see the beauty
We're losing to the light?
Poem: "Blinded by the Light" by Sarah Williams.
Around New Year (I think it was New Year's Eve or the day previous)we read that there'd be a good chance to watch the Moon and Venus close together, soon after sunset, with Jupiter and Mercury appearing shortly after. We drove westward out of town, so as not to "lose anything to the light" and parked in a deserted country road at around 5.30pm. We blinked into the rapidly setting Sun, then, as it grew dark the Moon appeared with Venus shining very brightly, a short distance below. Then, straining at first, we identified Mercury and Jupiter by following the line of the ecliptic. My husband tried to get some good shots of the lovely sight. It wasn't possible to get all in one frame, so he has here combined two photographs,
click on it to enlarge.
Earth's lights
And.....a golden oldie touching on the same theme: from 1969 "Light Flight" - by Pentangle
What's that star?
It's just a passing plane.
Grandma sighs so sadly,
The nights just aren't the same;
I'm sure they used to be darker;
Wonder filled the skies;
Where have all the stars gone?
Could it be my failing eyes?
Too many of our children
Haven't known a true dark night;
Will they ever see the beauty
We're losing to the light?
Poem: "Blinded by the Light" by Sarah Williams.
Around New Year (I think it was New Year's Eve or the day previous)we read that there'd be a good chance to watch the Moon and Venus close together, soon after sunset, with Jupiter and Mercury appearing shortly after. We drove westward out of town, so as not to "lose anything to the light" and parked in a deserted country road at around 5.30pm. We blinked into the rapidly setting Sun, then, as it grew dark the Moon appeared with Venus shining very brightly, a short distance below. Then, straining at first, we identified Mercury and Jupiter by following the line of the ecliptic. My husband tried to get some good shots of the lovely sight. It wasn't possible to get all in one frame, so he has here combined two photographs,
click on it to enlarge.
Earth's lights
And.....a golden oldie touching on the same theme: from 1969 "Light Flight" - by Pentangle
