Changing Stars

As Arcturus in Bootes is descending,
and Spica in Virgo ascends. 
My heart's like a cup runneth over, 
the surprises for me never end.

One constellation is going,
as the next one arrives on the scene.
I've met them before, they're never a bore,
they burn with a light as they gleam.

The seasons are ready for changing,
you can tell by the stars in the sky.
To the ancients 'twas simple star gazing,
which filled up their hearts and their eyes.

Like a clock the earth keeps on moving,
it still spins, it still tilts and revolves,
and I find this truly amazing,
like a riddle that's never been solved.

They say it's mathematic equation,
but it needs no persuasion to me.
I only gaze up at the magic,
in these mystical stars that I see.

Carolina Moon

The Carolina Moon,
I've been missing it of late.
But tonight it's full and bright,
And its kiss is like a date.

I've been missing it for weeks
its been hiding behind clouds.
But now the Carolina Moon
is back and does us proud.

The Carolina Moon
will be watching us all night.
Up while are sleeping,
a soft and lovely light.

In just a few more days
it will be leaving us again
Hiding behind clouds
while it leaves us soaked in rain.

The Carolina Moon
you need catch it while you can.
It's a long road it must travel
'til it kisses us again.

Note 1: Photo taken just now. 9:45 PM
It will go down just before I wake.
Sleep well. ❣

July 11, 2022

Note 2: Last year at this time i missed the Moon for 3 months. When I first saw it once more in September I cried. And vowed never to take it for granted again.

Moon rose at 7:45 PM. It will set at 4:44 AM

A Moment with Jupiter and Venus

I have always loved the stars and planets. To me, they represent the divine, the unattainable, and the mystery of life. I don't worship them, rather, I admire them. They do exactly as they are supposed to do without question, or complaint. They are the time clock of our existence.

Looking at a star that is no longer there; the light having taken so long to reach us that the star has long since burned out; always reminds me of the fleeting moments of time which we call our lives. Those years represent only a "needle in a haystack"; or, a lone grain of sand in a desert.

I took this picture last night in front of our house in Concord, North Carolina. There is a street light behind me, and several more down the road. But still, the majesty of these two planets remained visible, even through the clouds. The larger of the two is Jupiter, which is the largest object in the sky, at 9 times the size of our own planet. The shot is of the two planets setting in the western night time sky. For me, this was a huge reminder of just how small we all are.

Mercury - The Insignificant Planet

Mercury is often called the "most elusive" planet. It appears on schedule, of course, but is not always clearly visible, due mostly to the time it rises or sets. Being one of the dimmer planets makes it fade amongst the myriad of other stars when it appears too long after sunset. So it isn't very often we get to see it this clearly.

And that's what you get for the next 10 days or so. Mercury; the elusive, almost insignificant planet, visible to the naked eye. But to see it, you need to find it first. And it's not that hard. Here's how;

The planet Venus,the brightest of all the planets, is clearly visible as it sets just about an hour or so after sunset. I'm at 35 degrees laitude here, so make your adjustments. But basically you neeed only look to the West about an hour or so after sunset and the first, possibly only, thing you will see is a bright star. That's Venus and it's a planet. It glows with the reflection of the sun, which has already dipped below the horizon. The same phenomenon lights our Moon.

Now, to find Mercury, our elusive, insignificant planet, just look 45 degrees down to the right.(Like the hour hand pointing to three-thirty.) Just above the horizon you will see, hopefully, a small, almost reddish, starlike object. That's Mercury, reflecting the reddish glow from the setting sun.

Now, you're asking, why this is important. Here's why. It reveals to the naked eye and all our senses, just how tiny and insignificant we really are. It calls out, clearly, that " we are but a speck of dust." I don't know who said it. I'd need to look it up. And isn't it written that "What is Man that Thou regardest him... He is but a blade of grass to be cut down, to wither and to die." Again, maybe not word for word, but you see where I'm going with this.

Someday, when we all get beyond our petty differences we will realize the basic truth that is so apparent when you look at Mercury, the "insignificant planet." If we would all just realize how small we are in the grand scheme of things, then we could achieve our greatest goals. It's really that simple.