The mysteries of the Universe have long been a fascination, spawning wild and divergent theories over the centuries, as well as the revelations of astronomers over just as many years. But the observations and discoveries as more recent man-made objects travel ever and ever further into the depths of our solar system, bringing forth images we once could never have imagined, fascinate me no end.
I remember the first time I saw Saturn through a telescope. I knew what it looked like, with its magnificent rings making it so distinctive from the other planets, but to actually see it, rings intact, out there in the void, simply minding its own business and just doing its thing, amazed me.
Among several other celestial discoveries, astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei was the one who first brought the rings of Saturn to the world's attention. I can only imagine the ecstasy he would feel to be able to observe the heavens through one of today’s massive telescopes. What he discovered in his lifetime with the equipment he had to hand is mind boggling enough, but even with all his immense knowledge and dedication to research, he proved he wasn’t all theory and seriousness.
The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it,
can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do.
- Galileo Galilei 1564 - 1642
We were treated a week ago to a planetary alignment, or a planet parade as others were calling it, for it wasn’t like they were all neatly queueing up in a straight line to be counted off, but six planets all in the eastern sky at the same time was quite a sight. Venus and Jupiter were the brightest, changing positions in the night sky as the days passed, seeming to brush past each other on one night, even though they’re some 600 million kilometres apart on different elliptical paths. Something in me said there had to be a poem in there somewhere, so quickly penned this.
Before night’s end
and dawn’s first light
in the early morning eastern sky
there they were in a row
Venus and Jupiter all aglow
while higher up and not so bright
hung Saturn with its mighty rings.
Neptune and Uranus also there
but too far out for the naked eye,
then sneaking up from down below
Mercury deigned to join the show.
Such celestial sights
on a crisp clear night
this merry dance of giant spheres,
while barely seen in the void of space
the waning moon took second place
content to let the others shine.
If our lonely planet could be inclined
to take their cue and be so aligned
what wonders in the universe
could be reflected
down here
on the Earth.
We are left to despair that our beautiful blue-green planet will ever be given the respect and care it deserves. We’ve made an awful mess of this world given over to our stewardship. There is no Plan B, for there simply is no Planet B. What you see is what you get, and fighting over who has the rights over this bit or that bit does no one any favours. It’s all ours, to manage or mismanage as we see fit, and we seem hell bent on the latter while others strive endlessly to save it. I feel author Iris Murdoch’s observation of the state of the world was a very pertinent one.
Perhaps when distant people on other planets
pick up some wavelength of ours
all they hear is a continuous scream
- Iris Murdoch 1919 - 1999
