I love all things astronomical, so I was glued to Stargazing Live tonight with Professor Brian Cox and Dara O’Briain. It’s the second series, and tonight was a perfect star gazing night, cold, clear and moonless. I do feel it is slightly sad that they tend to dumb-down the science, but it’s in a good cause if it entices a few youngsters into the hobby, or even enthuses them enough to want to become a professional astronomer.
After it finished, I rushed out with my own telescope, to have a look around the sky. Venus and Jupiter had already moved past my viewing window, although they were both clearly visible earlier in the evening. However, the constellation of Orion, The Hunter, was almost exactly due south, over the darkest skies out towards Brownsea Island, so I decided to focus on it and take a peek at the Great Orion Nebula.
I’ve seen it before, that little patch in the centre of Orion’s sword, but tonight was so clear, and the sky so dark, that it was wondrous to behold. The gas clouds were clearly visible, and it was easy to pick out the dozens of individual stars that merge together with the gas clouds to form the ‘smudge’ you can see with the naked eye.
It is amazing to think, that the light we see from stars, the twinkle that we so easily take for granted, left those stars hundreds, thousands, even millions of years ago. When we realise the vast expanse of our own universe and the incomprehensible numbers of other universes, it really puts our own planet and lives into true perspective. We really are just a tiny speck in the vast expanse of space, and an almost insignificant part of the whole.
We all see things in very different ways, mainly because we tend to be restricted by our own viewpoint.
All this hullabaloo about Scottish independence is making me wonder about the motives behind the latest dialogue between the Prime Minister David Cameron and Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond. The formation of the Scottish Parliament was always the first step on the road to independence, and I’m fine with that, it should be the Scottish people who decide.
So many times, we have talked about the fact that we only lose when we decide we have lost. Having the courage, patience and determination to press on, even when all the signs are telling you to stop, to give in, to cut and run, can allow unexpected results to occur.
We all set expectations, of ourselves, of others and of the outcome of situations in our lives. So it is very easy to be disappointed when those expectations are not met. What you must remember, is that your happiness is in your own hands, so being unhappy when your hopes and expectations are dashed is your own decision.
Never forget that making a decision is the beginning, and not the end of the process. In many ways starting something is the easiest part, seeing things through to their conclusion takes far more effort and patience as well as wisdom, courage and compassion.
The Search For Enlightenment 
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