For many generations, various human cultures have had great knowledge about star constellations. However, these days, most so-called modernized humans can’t say much about what’s around us in the infinite Universe. The funny thing is, technically we now know more than ever about what’s in there, we even have photos. With the Hubble Telescope, we now have access to the most incredible images imaginable: galaxies, nebulae, and millions of stars up close. You don’t need to buy a book or a DVD to see these things, just sit in front of your computer and let the internet take you on a galactic journey.
Many of the images can be accessed for free simply by finding the correct sites. In [http://wires.news.com.au/special/mm/030811-hubble.htm#panup2] you can see a sequence of beautiful images that are literally out of this world. The beauty of the photos, the fact that they are moving, and the musical accompaniment make the whole trip quite ethereal. The other big thing is the information scientists have discovered, mind-boggling ideas like the fact that some stars are 60 times brighter than our own sun, or the idea that there are thousands of stars in a tiny spot in the sky. The concept that galaxies are 150 million light years away: do you know how fast light travels?
For the average human who spends his existence in one place working hard every day to make ends meet, life can become somewhat monotonous and isolated. You forget that there is a whole world out there. However, the Universe could be a random thought that only appears once a month or even a year. The stars seem so disconnected from our everyday reality, but the fact is that we are part of a much bigger picture, the biggest picture of all, infinite space. Maybe if we focused a little more ‘outside the box’ of our family routines, we could capture the magic and perfection that surrounds us all the time, the real neighborhood we belong to.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16616
http://www.spaceweather.com/
http://www.sec.noaa.gov/
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/scienceopticsu/powersof10/index.html
These are some more sites that I discovered that give us more information or ‘perspective’ of what is going on around us. Once again I find that the Internet has become a means of discovering knowledge about life. Without leaving the office or my home, I can travel to the most beautiful places, real places, we are not talking about Star Trek, people! I have seen many magical things in my life so far: snow capped mountains, rainbows over waterfalls, sunsets on tropical beaches. I have seen art, listened to music, seen movies; I have lived a very lucky life indeed. But, seeing these images and learning about the incredible worlds outside of ours … on a home computer … has taken me to a new level of understanding, a new level of reverence for who we are a part of. The only way to closely describe these galaxies, stars, and giant gas clouds is to gently and humbly pronounce the word “magic.” You will never see actual paintings like this, beauty that stretches for millions of miles.
My computer screen has turned into a mirror portal.