Stargazing

I'd forgotten. How long has it been since I simply sat outside and watched the stars?

Granddaughters Haley and Hannh are here tonight, and we sat out on the porch looking up at the stars. I realized that the light pollution from the house was blocking some of our view, so we went up on the ridge. There are no streetlights and although there are 3 or 4 houses on the ridge now it is still very dark on my side of the hill.

We parked at the highest point, got out of the car with our blankets, and positioned ourselves to gaze upward. I told the girls about when I was young and would lay on the ground so long that I could feel the earth moving in its orbit around the sun. I still remember the sensation vividly.

They had to try it, of course. Huddled in quilts they laid down and waited. Soon they felt it too--the earth literally moves. We watched Mars sink over the horizon and the Milky Way become more defined as night got deeper.

Haley spotted the first shooting star. Hannah finally saw one too, as did I, just barely catching it out of the corner of my eye. We stayed for almost an hour, and only the chilliness of the night air sent us back to the house.

For the girls, it was an amazing evening that has them wanting to get to the library tomorrow for books about stars. For me, it was a trip back in time to when I first experienced the awe of the night sky.

I might get a book myself, just to remember all I used to know about the stars. Online, I found a site that allows me to produce a map of my night sky above Charleston, WV, constellations and all. Try it for your place on earth--it's neat.