Stargazing: Just Look Up
Look up at the stars.
They’re like pieces of art.
Floating above the ground
I think here even Shawn Mendes agrees with me that the stars are one of the most phenomenal forces of nature
Even Travis Scott compares the feeling of being ‘high’ to the feeling of watching stars on his song literally named Stargazing
Who knew balls of gas just burning a far distance from us could have such an angelic aura… guess that’s why they’re called heavenly bodies
All the chemistry involved in stars just feels so mundane when put beside the twinkling sky lights
Even though the sun is also a star, we care more about the night wonders as there is something both enchanting and alluring about the night time heck its why we talk about the night life and its buzzing nature rather than the bright day activity
They say watching stars reconnects us to the universe and makes us feel like part of a bigger entity
Sometimes people don’t like to stargaze as they might feel like they don’t even know what they are staring up at but that’s the fun of it.
As children or even till now, we might have been told or heard that we could just use the stars as roadmaps to trace whatever we want to see in the sky
In a fast world like ours, we can get so busy not to notice the little things like the night stars but a mindful gaze every once in a while can make us more mindful as well
On some days it can be hard to even get a glimpse of those twinklers but on some days they fill up the entire sky canvas and it’s like you could grab a handful if you could reach any higher
Myth and Fact
There is a myth however that the stars we can see with the naked eye are dead which is not entirely true.
Due to the fact that the stars are several light years away, the light we see is what was given off a long time ago; while it is possible, it is not certain that those stars are no longer existent
The Starry Night
The feeling of watching stars is something that can sometimes be hard to express with words that is why when artists manage to capture that moment and feeling, we certainly celebrate it
The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh which is regarded as the most famous of his works represents the starry sky from his room window at an asylum.
While it has been said to show his turbulent and troubled mind state at the time, I feel like it was his mind seeking solace from the serenity of night time… Seeking the silver lining behind the dark cloudy pane
I say so because he doesn’t capture the bars on his window too, all he sees is the beauty of it all
Sky Glow
In the day time, the sun gives the sky its light by a phenomenon known as Rayleigh scattering where the sun light passes through the atmosphere lighting it up.
At night, there is no sunlight to pass through and color up the sky making the sky almost transparent which means at night we can see directly into space, into the vast area of the universe.
It’s no wonder why we can see planets like Jupiter and Saturn in the sky with the naked eye at night
The light in the sky at night is known as the sky glow due to the faint airglow in the upper atmosphere.
Light Pollution
As a result of light pollution that sky glow has become quite thicker as all the lights we have invented can match the strength of the sun’s making it hard to see the stars at night
It might seem that the saying too much of everything is bad is quite true. It is said that stars are no longer as visible to humans as they once were in fact it takes quite the effort these days to see the milky way with naked eyes
Benefits of Stargazing
Stargazing while regarded sometimes as a mindless activity has been noted to have immense benefits on both the physical and mental health
Stress reliever- In the night time, there is a stillness and calm which can act as a great stress relief.
I mean there has to be a reason the night was made for sleep as well as use of the sounds of the night crickets as white noise for meditation
Connects you with nature - Only at night is it still enough for us to notice the sound of the crickets, sounds of birds, probably bats too.
This all seeks to remind us that a lot of wonderful things surround us which also gives us a new perspective to life. It is to say that we are not insignificant.
As Beyoncé puts it we’re part of something way bigger
Romantic setting - Candle light dinners probably accompanied by fairy lights can be noted down as one of the most romantic settings for a date.
Well having a date right under the stars isn’t far off. Even long walks at night on the beach where you could see the stars clearly is something you can describe as perfect, if you’re lucky you encounter a shooting star which means your wishes for the night come true…
Efficient space to think and be grateful - The little things remind us to be grateful for the big ones.
Sitting in the solitude of the night can really push the mind to ponder on different random things. I like how Alessia Cara puts it in ‘sweet dream’
Monsters hide under my bed,
they bother me with all kinds of things like
where do I go when I’m dead… that one stupid thing I said
With the company of stars, our thoughts tend to lean more to gratitude and a sense of childhood wonder
Boosts creativity- When the thoughts of how stars come to be or how far they are from us sets in.
The myths surrounding them or the constellations they form; these can all trigger a longer train of thoughts that puts into perspective the miracles of the universe which can spark interest and ideas.
In other words, stars are an inspiration. It is no wonder why people would write more on the night stars than the day sun even though they are all stars…
Just like Ariana Grande says (or rather sings)…
'Don’t wait no more.
It's right above you.
Just look up'
