The vastness of the universe can be either completely terrifying or magical in the most captivating way. Terrifying, since, when you study about it you realize how small you are in this world. However at the same time it can be beautiful – oh so beautiful! Sometimes I am thinking that I feel really bad for all those who cannot appreciate the beauty of the universe!
I was always fascinated about the idea of us being part of this universe! When I started this course I thought “what are you getting yourself into? You know so little about science, it is going to be so hard”… and then the actual course started.. and guess what? All my fears came true. The course was hard — yet so interesting at the same time. and then the observatory happened!
I do not think that human words could ever be used to decently describe that experience. I think that everyone should experience that for themselves. The first time we went to the Grainger observatory we did not use the telescopes; we took our time familiarizing ourselves with the night sky! I had never seen more stars in the sky before that Monday night. Learning about the constellations and how they got their names, about planets and the Milky Way felt peaceful. Looking at the sky that night I did not feel alone and small but I rather felt connected, I felt alive.
The second time was even better although I still cannot understand how that was possible. We used the telescopes to see Venus, Saturn and the Moon. It was then that it hit me. The greatness of the world and of nature. I was observing through a lens planets which are several million lightyears away from us and which through the telescope looked so tiny. Too tiny. I could come back to the observatory every night. To learn new things, to see the things I learn in class happen before my eyes, to explore the night sky a little more.
The other night I was looking at the full moon. I look at the sky and I see her standing there. Perfectly shaped! The round goddess! And I catch myself thinking that there is a silver sphere soaring in the infinite, the vast darkness. Such a beautiful image, magical, almost unexplainable. It sounds so surreal that we all are standing in a giant round sphere floating in nowhere.