Blue Ridge Country January/February 2021 - 82

GUEST COLUMN

Look up in Silence
at the Stars
John Jardine Goss is president of the Roanoke Valley (Virginia)
Astronomical Society, and past president of the Astronomical League,
the nation's largest federation of astronomical societies. He has earned
the title of Master Observer from the Astronomical League and has
authored a book, " Exploring the Starry Realm. " He also writes a
monthly stargazing column for the Roanoke Times. He and his wife,
Genevieve, reside near Fincastle, Virginia, and are members of the
International Dark-Sky Association.
By JOHN JARDINE GOSS

" ... I wander'd off by myself,
In the mystical moist nightair, and from time to time,
Look'd up in perfect silence at
the stars. "
-from " When I Heard
the Learn'd Astronomer "
by Walt Whitman

hy do you spend so much time looking at
the stars? I am occasionally asked various versions of that by people who really don't know me and who really don't
know the heavens. My overly-long answer...
More in this past year than in others,
people have been trying to make sense of their world,
while also seeking to achieve some degree of emotional
comfort. Many have found an upwelling of inner peace,
awe and contentment just by venturing under the starry
dome and admiring what lies in the firmament.
What do they see? What do they feel?
They see their past filled with pleasant memories of
family camping expeditions where younger renditions
of themselves lie in cozy sleeping bags in the darkness.
Above them, silent meteors flash past innumerable stars.
They felt joy-and astonishment at what they saw.
Those thoughts from long ago still evoke the same feelings today.
In the night sky of today's world, they see stars that,

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to them, have been twinkling forever. They see bright
planets steadily shining almost knowingly at them and
everyone else on planet Earth. They see the magically
glowing band of the Milky Way galaxy arcing overhead
with its vast star fields interspersed with mysterious dark
lanes and subtle glows. They see the blackness behind
the stars. They feel humbled.
They know that no matter what transpires on our little
blue planet, all will be constant in the heavens. All will
be as it should. These sights will always be here for not
only them, but for their children, and for their grandchildren. They feel a sense of permanence in the cosmos.
We live in a region of the country that, on occasion,
brings sparkling clear skies to its winter nights. Cold?
Yes. Clear? Excitedly so! Sometimes, a string of moonless
nights comes our way, presenting a wonderful opportunity to head to a dark area to gaze thoughtfully into the
depths of space.
Whatever the season, why not travel to an expansive
overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway, drive to a nearby
state park where outdoor lights are discouraged, or stroll
along a darkened beach? You will be simply amazed at
the view stretching from horizon to horizon. These are
celestial sights never seen in the city, these are sights
not seen by people who don't make the effort to venture
under the stars. More importantly, these are the same
sights seen by our ancestors as they gazed skyward in
perfect silence trying to make sense of their world.
That is why I wander off by myself into the mystical
moist night-air and gaze introspectively into the
heavens.

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Blue Ridge Country January/February 2021

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