A Lighter View
Starry nights
By K.E.H. Stagg

March 12, 2009

During a full moon, it’s hard for me to sleep with what amounts to a high voltage night light shining in my window, and this week’s beacon was no exception.

My favorite night time display, however, is the stars. I never had a middle school class on finding constellations nor did I take astronomy in college, so I’m doing well to find Orion’s Belt, the Big and Little Dippers and the North Star.

For someone like me, star gazing is a lot like watching clouds; I can find just about any shape imaginable. In fact, I could do connect-the-dots in the night sky to point out a tractor, a barn and silo, or the outline of Northern York County. If I’m really on a roll, I can even locate the shape of my house!

Frankly, I’m not sure how a handful of stars really depict a hunter with his bow and arrow or a giant bear; it seems likely that some ancient imbibed vats full of fermented grape juice before coming up with the galaxy of constellations. My way is a lot more versatile. It doesn’t matter if I’m in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, nor what time of year it is. I don’t have to figure out which little cluster of stars is a goat or a lion. I can spot shapes in any sky anywhere in the world.

My nephew is a NASCAR fan, so I can point out “24” in stars for his benefit; my niece likes me to find her a ballerina. Dollar signs and smiley faces are plentiful if you know where to look, and for those annoying people who just don’t seem to know when to shut up, I like to draw their attention to a gaping mouth.

But mainly, star spotting is about entertainment. It doesn’t require much more than imagination and a clear evening sky. There’s no admission fee and no expensive equipment required. If you’ve got a pair of eyes and can find a comfortable piece of ground without too many ambient lights, you’re all set.

I caution those who have over-active imaginations not to get distracted by blinking, flashing lights; they’re airplanes, communications towers, orbiting satellites or meteorites—not UFOs. But if you want to find yourself a UFO shape in the stars, be my guest. The sky has no limits!