Sky comes at a premium here in forested inland Connecticut. Thus, Knowlton Hill Preserve is one of Joshua’s Trust’s real gems – the vast, dizzying bowl of the heavens hangs above this knoll. It becomes especially noticeable at twilight while the tall weeds whisper. The preserve’s heart is that glacial drumlin, with flowering meadow, Oriental Chestnuts, bluebirds – and sky. Yes, I walk the trails and feast on the plentiful flora and fauna, rich enough for another blog post. But the real feast might be above me. “Look up”, the night seems to say, “I go on forever.” Your hair can stand on end.
August 11, 12, and 13, with an emphasis on the night of the 12th, the annual Perseid meteor shower reappears. Born from the comet Swift-Tuttle, the shooting stars radiate from the constellation Perseus, which rises in the northeast. Make a wish! After 10 PM (when the moon has set) will make good viewing, while 2-4 AM is peak. Comets may be the way oxygen and thus life fell upon this out-of-the-way planet, and hooh, boy, is THAT a dose of inexplicable randomness. We are at the mercy of astronomy…as well as geology and biology. The Trust has plans in the works for a FALL STAR SHOW at KNOWLTON HILL SEPTEMBER 25th – but yes, we’re at the mercy of New England weather too. Keep yourself in the loop; more information coming later.
In a worrisome world, my faith in humanity is revived by watching the glowing ember in which people sail above us at the edge of darkness, afloat by virtue of awesome technology. Knowlton Hill is a good place to spot the International Space Station.
Click here to find times and locations during dawn or dusk prime viewing hours when the station reflects the sunlight. A clear evening with the ISS at least 40 degrees high (above the trees) for 4 minutes or longer is best. At 254 miles high, it travels at 17,130 mph (yes, merely a local Earthly ratio). For each minute of visibility, you are seeing the space station cover about 285 miles. Amazing what we can do when we care to.
Our atmosphere is a sometimes scary place, with its fire and rain, flashes and crashes. But time passes and a storm’s drama passes with it. Beyond that thin patina of restless air, beyond the Space Station and the Moon, there is sheer eternity; space is so immense it extinguishes our limited earthly perspective of time. Consider “forever”. After your hike, lean back by the elegant Silver Maple at Knowlton, look up, and treasure the mystery of the universe – and the blessing that is Earth.
~ George Jacobi (my thanks to astronomer Dr. Russell Sampson of ECSU)
Star Show at Knowlton Hill Preserve presented by Bob Grindle on September 25. Participants should bring a chair or a blanket, dress appropriately, protect against ticks, bring binoculars. Show will begin at 8PM; people can come after 7:30 pm. Register here.
As this essay points out sometimes just looking up at the night sky filled with stars can help restore our sense of wonder in the world. Everyone can benefit from a dose of that. “Star Show” sounds like fun.