Turn Off the Lights and Look Up!

On any clear night, the night sky offers an ever-changing display of amazing objects you can see.  In addition to the stars and constellations one can see the bright planets, often the moon, galaxies, comets, asteroids, and satellites.  During daylight we only see our Sun and sometimes the moon. 

The Moon is closest to us and as a result it appears as the largest and brightest object in the night sky. The bright light near the moon in the night sky is not a star but a planet. Venus is the second brightest object in the night sky. It shines so brightly that it is the first ‘star’ to appear in the sky after the Sun sets and it is the last ‘star’ to disappear before the Sun rises. The planet Venus is referred to as the evening star and the morning star.

The brightest star in the Earth’s night sky is Sirius.  Sirius means glowing in Greek.  Only a few planets, the full moon and the International Space Station outshine this star. The sky’s second brightest star, Canopus, can be seen from latitudes in the southern United States.  Here Canopus appears as a bright light closer to the horizon than Sirius.

As the Earth rotates on its axis that is pointed in the direction of the North Star, stars appear to move from east to west in the sky.  Some of the brighter stars appear to form groups called constellations.  One of the easiest star patterns to locate in Earth’s sky is the Big Dipper. It is visible just about every clear night in the Northern Hemisphere. My photo today shows the Big Dipper.

These are the sayings from the bookmark called Advice from the Night Sky.

• See the big picture

• Be a star

• Keep looking up

• Don’t be afraid of the dark

• Stay full of wonder

• Expand your horizons

• Turn off the lights!

Here are my comments about each of the sayings.

• See the big picture - Look at the overall impact, not just your perspective.

• Be a star - Let your light shine and be a star.

• Keep looking up - Keep looking onward and upward not looking back.

• Don’t be afraid of the dark - Don’t be afraid.  Be a bright light in the dark to help others.

• Stay full of wonder - There are many wonders in the night sky.  Be curious and full of wonder as you discover new things.

• Expand your horizons - Try new things.

• Turn off the lights! - Turn off the lights and look up!

Have a great day everyone and take time to look up and gaze at tonight’s sky.  Turn off the lights and look up!

# living life abundantly   # published author   # travelling tuesdays