The quiet summer night sky was star-filled. No moon was showing. The wind was calm. The Milky Way went from NE to SW, where Sagittarius (the Pitcher) was angled like it could pour into a cup on the earth. Faylene took some deep breaths and began her trek in the south to identify some beautiful constellations and a few objects. We took our time as we sat in our night robes for an hour (1 to 2 am) enjoying the view until the need for more sleep drove us in.
The next night, which was supposed to be clear, was hazy with light clouds. I promised to wake her if the sky was very good, but she was tired and the sky was not nearly as inviting as the night before. With a sigh, I decided to sit for a few minutes. There was a reasonably clear hole above me around the southernmost part of the Cygnus constellation, so I set up the 16×70 binocular on the Sky Window (a reflecting mirror) to take a closer look. I found the Coat Hanger Cluster (Cr 399) and figured it was worth a sketch. After 30 minutes I called it a night.
The next morning I filled in the observation information. That is when I looked at a couple ‘star’ or ‘heavens’ verses and chose part of Genesis 1:16 to put on the observing sheet. What an understatement it is! Each day of His creation work is astounding in different ways, and Day 4 is no different. With his hand at work, the celestial sphere was created and stretched out. Just as miraculous as raising a 12-year old girl from the dead, stopping the sun’s motion, or flooding the earth, when He commands something, it happens. So, I got to look at one of those creations and record just one tiny piece of it.
It was a good night to give thanks, as was the night before when my wife and I observed.
