Hey Orion, DOWN IN FRONT!
I figure that’s not a joke TOO many people get, but maybe I’m underestimating the people I know. He got the best seat in the house though, didn’t he? Hope everyone took the time to watch the lunar eclipse last night. The gravity of a cosmic event like that should not be taken lightly (all puns intended, and from here on out). There are so many ways to break down this kind of experience, it’s kind of hard to just sit there and take it in for a minute. It’s times like this when I understand why people who REALLY got into astrology and astronomy did; and more so, why they’re so insanely passionate about it. It’s also times like these that I remember going to the eye doctor a couple weeks ago (why a 26 year old with a history of perfect vision goes regularly to the eye doctor is beyond me, especially since every time I do he just tells me there’s nothing wrong with my eyes) and him telling me that I had 20/15 vision. Things like that make me wonder if I’m sensing/seeing this thing any differently than anyone else. All I know is, whatever I’m seeing, it’s a big deal to me; especially since these circumstances won’t happen again until 2094. Never pass up an opportunity for a once in a life time opportunity.
It’s important to remember that what you’re watching is actually happening at about 67,000 miles an hour; that’s the estimated speed that the Earth travels around the Sun at. After watching for an hour the moon was just barely at 50% blackened out. It’s fun to wonder if something historical will happen in the near future and be associated with this eclipse; apparently this is not uncommon. I figure when I have kids I’ll let them stay up and watch stuff like this, cause I think there is a massive underlying lesson to be learned from what you witness. To me it’s the ultimate humbling experience; you’re watching something you, nor anyone else, has any control over whatsoever. Or could. Or should. *
*at this point, I just realized that I came to the computer to play some music, and got completely sidetracked either watching the eclipse or writing about it that I forgot to hit play. I’m glad I remembered eventually, though. Fittingly enough, Great Dub in the Sky by Easy Star All-Stars was the first song to come on when I hit shuffle. Things like that I refuse to take for granted.
I’m ecstatic I just found out for the first time that the windows in my room open downward as well as upward with no screen, providing unaltered view from my eye to the sky as I lay in bed. The window was creating a glare from the intense brightness, and I was getting about 5 progressively smaller eclipses fading in succession towards me. There’s no way a digital screen or monitor that humans make can ever replicate how bright the moon was right before the Earth’s shadow started to steal its spotlight. I’m guessing that was about 45 minutes ago, but really what’s the concept of time at this point anyway?
It’s exactly 2:30 AM, and the moon looks INSANE. There is still a sliver of BRIGHT white fleeting away, but the majority of the moon is in a deep orange shadow. I probably won’t open the computer screen again until it’s over.
As the last bit of pure white disappeared into fire orange, the opening chords for Nutshell by Alice in Chains started; I’ll be damned if those weren’t the most vivid chills of my life. It’s times like these that the people who live secluded from civilization deserve our envy; I can’t imagine how much the light pollution us big city folk are used to is affecting how much of what we’re actually seeing. Even if it’s only the slightest bit, it’d be worth it. It’s also times like this I feel extremely fortunate to not be working for anyone else at the moment. If I get the job I want I’ll be starting the first business day of 2011; a strong metaphor, and I’ll take it as that I suppose. Had I gotten any job before this one (that I really want, I might say), there’s not a chance I’d be awake for this. Everything seems to happen for the right reasons if you just stay positive enough. As the moon gets to its darkest, not only do I get a text from a friend that said “Have you seen the moon? It’s gone,” but also Circles by Thrice starts playing. I guess we really do set sail with no fixed star in sight.
They say ancient civilizations that operated via the stars would FLIP out when the moon turned red. Can’t say I blame them. Who knows how much we’d know about outer space if the civilizations before us weren’t obsessed with the constellations. I would say I’m familiar with more than most people; one astronomy class in college (if you were lucky enough to get into it) is probably a bit more than the average person knows about the universe. The teacher was amazing; he said dude about 10 times a sentence, but he had such a passion for the stars that it was hard not to learn. He (like most astronomers) is totally obsessed with outer space. Can’t say I blame them either. I’m not so sure that’d be for me though. You start getting obsessed with what’s up there, maybe you lose focus on what’s down here. Then again, maybe I’m just thinking that way because I just saw Tron: Legacy, which is another matter for another time. I don’t know if I’ll be able to stay awake for it to finish; I’ll do my best but have gotten out of it what I will. I’ll end on Beautiful Things by Ming & Ping. Here’s to all the beautiful things agreeing with you.
Feel free to comment. If you don’t have anything to say, take a cue from me (since I used it quite a bit, admittedly) and finish this line with what the eclipse, or even the presence of it, made you think: It’s times like this… _____.
