Despite the distance
It was a bright point in the dark sky. Then, there were others. And the Moon, nearby. It turns out, we could see 4 planets shine together in our night sky a couple of days ago. I am certain I had read about it, but living in a northern country (yes, I've moved since my last entry. Welcome back!) I must have assumed it would be cloudy. It wasn't. It was cold, and crisp, and beautifully clear. And the piercing lights stood out, stopping me in my tracks. Not even the Moon, filling up and shedding our shadow, could make them less conspicuous. I wanted to sit down on the grassy bank and just stare. It is no wonder humans have long been fascinated by the changes in the heavens. I'm even curious whether we ever were not, or whether it was one of the earliest signs of a different mind to that of other hominids and apes. Whether it might also be another branch, a new step, in our evolution: homo habilis, homo erectus, homo sapiens, homo astralis. What I find particularly mesmerisi...