Northeast Pennsylvania ~ Late November Sky

Here's a photo of the early morning eastern sky in North East Pennsylvania, looking out the front door of the retreat house in late November. Photographer Steve Nordahl calls this "The Morning Lineup!" There is Venus down below and then Mars moving up and right and then even further going up the arc (almost hidden in the deep darkness) is Jupiter. How wonderful! 

But the hills here conceal Spica (down under Venus and to the right). Spica looks like a star but it's really two stars (eleven million miles apart) that whirl around each other appearing as one. Both are larger and brighter than our sun. 

I've been told that if Spica were to explode and cease to exist, we would still see its light for 262 years! 

Looking up at the sky - really looking - calls us to a new mindfulness. For all we think we know, we really know nothing. There's all this beauty and wonder in the sky which belongs to no one but is there for all of us to enjoy. Instead we keep our minds so small and low, with our flags and missiles, borders, interests and aggressive claims. It all results in fighting, explosions, wasting and tears.

If we could land on Spica and not get burned up, the nation landing first would probe around to find what might be of value, then stick a flag in the ground to make the claim. Undoubtedly at some point there'd be a war to keep the stars as private property until they were exhausted and rendered useless. 

Here's a picture of Spica through an unfiltered telescope. Let's just ponder:

Spica's two-ness
its orbiting
its distance
its enormity
its brightness
its presence
the imagination of it all!