Reaching Into Space (1)

The Night Sky - by me

The sky's been above us since we were born. It's been exactly like that for as long as we can remember. Even though technically, most of the sky are actually below us. It's blue when it's day, black when it's night, and orange-ish in between. There's the sun, the moon, and the stars. It used to be nothing special for me. I was used to it being a part of my daily life. Always present but ignored. Just like the tip of our nose. Hiding there in plain sight. (except maybe you start to notice your nose now haha). The sky was just sort of, being there.

 

Astronomy lesson in elementary school went by just like that. I was interested by the planetary model my teacher Mrs. Han used to explain the solar system but I couldn't be bothered to memorize which moon belongs to which planet. MerVenBuMarJuSatUNepTo, that's all I got.

Then, once upon a day. I was watching tv. My after school routine. Maybe it was when I was still in grade six. There was a documentary about Mars. I missed most the show but I got to watch the last part. I still remember the narrations, which were captioned with Indonesian subtitle. It explained something about the dusts on Mars being so fine that they're easily blown away by the wind. When they're in the wind, they'll collide with each other, making static electricity that'll eventually generate a giant thunderstorm. I don't even know how six grader me could grasp that but that narrations was just so intriguing. Something in my head clicked and I thought "Hey, this is an interesting stuff. I need more of these!". I regretted not paying more attention and asked more when my teacher was explaining.

Back then the internet was not as easy to access as it is now. And our local tv stations rarely broadcasted space documentaries. Not to mention that our school library didn't have space book collection. (Maybe it did, but I was not motivated to look further since the library was isolated and dusty, excuses excuses excuses). I relied on Bobo (children magazine) articles to feed my curiosity. I was always hoping that the next Boleh Tahu segment was about space.

I guess after that, my interest in space was subsided.

UNTIL CAME THE ERA OF EASY INTERNET ACCESS. Boy! I never stop since that. I've watched countless of space documentaries. I am truly very grateful that I have access to countless space documentaries some people managed to pirate and upload them on the internet so people can watch them for free. Yay! Sorry not sorry.

My view of space was no longer limited by the solar system. It has expanded towards the galaxy and beyond. The sky is no longer the same. It's much more than just something you see, it's way way way way beyond that. There are much more to see, and yet to discover.

I remember watching a documentary about black holes. My mind was blown away. If those things could make scientists puzzled with amazement, then imagine what they did to me, a mere spectator. Also this one documentary about space time being the fabric of space. That empty space is far from just emptiness. How it changes our understanding of time. And then the Pillars of Creation, a star nursery somewhere in the Eagle Nebula. A cluster of dusts and gasses about to form new stars, that have actually been destroyed by a supernova shockwave but we won't be able to see the destruction until the next 1000 years because the light won't arrive on earth until then.

Pillars of Creation (wikipedia)

Everytime I discovered something new and fascinating for me, I'd be overwhelmed. I'd feel the need to share the wonders I've just discovered with someone. I want to share the excitement, and ugh I just can't help it. When something is fascinating and so amazing, it has to be shared with the world. Most of the time, that someone would be my sisters, and sometimes any chatting group I have. I remember sharing this image of Hubble Ultra-Deep Field on my high school class facebook group. Even though none responded, I felt satisfied that more people know this wonder exists and the amazing news of its existence didn't stop at me.

Hubble Ultra-Deep Field Image (wikipedia)

I mean, isn't that fascinating? Every individual gleam of light on that image is a whole galaxy with countless of stars. That's just a tiny patch of the sky that seems 'empty'. I can go on and on and on. It only takes a little effort to trigger me into talking about space.

I am surely not an expert on astronomy, and I am not trying to be one. I am just a spectator, sitting at the back of a spaceship, trying to hitchhike my way into the edge of the universe. But I am really sitting on the edge of my chair, astonished by every glimpse of wonder that I get to see.

Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and earth in six days and then established Himself above the Throne. He covers the night with the day, [another night] chasing it rapidly; and [He created] the sun, the moon, and the stars, subjected by His command. Unquestionably, His is the creation and the command; blessed is Allah, Lord of the worlds.(Al A'raf: 54)