MILLIONS of STARS

MILLIONS of STARS ~

Studded in the Midnight Sky

The day, hot and humid, gave us relief as the sun set in the western sky.

With cool refreshing cocktails, we escaped to the balcony as the sun approached the fading of its orb. The residential street was slow in traffic. As wafting by was an occasionally breeze ~ the night became silent ~ as o'er the horizon, the yellow moon rose.

Together we sat as Nature turned on her 'lights of the night' with a twinkle here ~ and a glimmer there, the evening sky became alert! My evening friend directed me to the North Star...to Ursa Bear and other 'nearby galaxies' shining ever so brilliantly. In the far distance of the northwest was a sparkling star ~ . He told me it was Vega ~ and with watchful eyes, she was surrounded by a host of twinkling starlets.

Oh! the wonders of astronomy ~ its planets and shooting stars!

“Wonders of the night sky has fascinated humanity for millennian ~ from celestial sights in summer to bright stars and constellations. The true joy of a moonlit night is something we no longer understand. Only the 'men of old', when where there was no light, could understand the true joy of a moonlit night,” observed Yasunari Kawabata.

“A sunset is the sun's fiery kiss to the night,” stated Crystal Woods.

“A starry sky is something that touches your soul. Our civilization's religion, philosophy, science and literature ~ all have roots with our views of the heavens,” observed Alisha Sevigny.

A few years ago, when our balconies were replaced, my table and chairs were stored. During this time, my statue of a 'sitting Yoga' disappeared. Shopping for another statue, I found a few 'on sale' at a local nursery. All, being white, my eyes dwelt on a female with a hand to her brow and seemingly looking into the future. She spoke to my inner soul.

Much too heavy for me to lug, a garden assistant lifted it to a cart...

to the cash register for payment...then lugged it to my veheicle.

Upon arriving home, the 'super' kindly carting it in

a shopping basket...

coming to my 3^rd floor apartment...kindly placed my new statue

upon my balcony's black iron stand.

And there, with hand to her brow, she peers into the night sky at Vega's constellation!

And you've guessed ~ I've named her Vega!

Vega is the 5^th brightest star in the night sky ~ and the second brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere. Vega is known as Alpha Lyrae, as it is the principal star in the constellation Lyra, the lyre.

Located just 25 light years from Earth, visible in the summer sky only of the Northern Hemisphere.

She 'stars' with Deneb and Altair. Surrounded by a disc of debris, possibly as the result of a planetary collision, she is the 5^th brightest star in the sky! Vega is the Second Most Important star in the sky.

A Scientific Opinion

Vega will only last another few hundred million years ~ before coming a 'Red Giant.'

And someone replied to said astronomer, “Well, That's a d___long time!

Most of us watching this night video, will be dust ~ within 50 to 60 years.

And someone else concluded: “ So any possible civilizations

in the world would be referred to as Vegans!”

Written by Merle Baird-Kerr...August 11, 2019

To comment: mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca