The first time I stared into the lens, I, as I knew myself, ceased to exist. I became one with the universe. I was above everything else floating in the vacuum. All sound fell apart; all light faded away and I felt the profound presence of my being in the universe making me realize the insignificance of its scale. Just to be able to feel that moment was an epiphany. I haven’t ever done meditation, but I am sure it can't be much different than stargazing.
Observing a whole galaxy through a tiny eyepiece, I skipped innumerous heartbeats, like a pleasant arrhythmia, if ever there is such a thing! It moved me beyond imagination and made me a philosopher instantly. Watching a nebula of cosmic dust nurturing future star embryos and planets elevated me to unscalable heights. It was as if my whole physical being fissioned into little stars and were pulled up towards the heaven. Sitting in that chair on the roof staring into the eyepiece, I was witnessing the past-light from thousands of years beyond! I was frozen by the effect and yet felt a glorious warmth spreading within me. If that doesn’t change one, I don’t know what does.
Intergalactic Bounty Hunters
Like space bounty hunters, my brother and I hunted down the famous of the celestial marvels. If the menacing Whirlpool galaxy has played hide and seek with us,
Andromeda (left) is unaware of the rules of the game by its obvious and large galactic arms nowhere to be hidden.
The Orion Nebula (below) unmistakably resembles the Bat signal in the air,
while the Great Herculean globular cluster resembles a glass window broken into numerous shining pieces. And the Ring Nebula (below) seems like God was smoking behind the cosmic curtains and unknowingly left a puff of smoke hanging in the air!
I have stared into the mighty Sun counting the spots on its face. I have frolicked in the lunar craters, mountain peaks and ridges which make our celestial brother so beautiful. I have been mesmerized by Saturn’s majestic rings which look like a zone of protection for our chubby relative. An analogy of a Kathakali dancer with white pasty beard around his coulourful face won’t be far off. Jupiter is a powerful sight with its Great Red Spot making one feel weak.
Seeking galaxies and hunting nebulae lends us immense power and satisfaction. It’s akin to solving an intergalactic mystery and putting a colossal jigsaw puzzle together. But then, we have to be at the mercy of light and dust which balances our power. In astronomy as in life, having a tool and power doesn’t necessarily guarantee success. One has to be patient and persevere. Just as the board that our father hung up in our childhood bedroom said, ‘success is sweet but its secret is sweat.’
If only everyone had looked at the world beyond our world through a telescope, they all will perceive how we fuss over petty things and how insignificant we really are with such inflated egos. Knowing my place in the universe has provided me with profound calmness and warmth. A zillion thanks, my telescope-my stairway to heaven!
