In many ways, being an astronomer entails a lot of risks.
We risk the indifference of others when we marvel at ordinary celestial events
We suffer ridicule when we revel at a seemingly banal night sky
We endure mockery when we find magic in the most mundane of things - a clear moonless night, a setting sun perhaps, a shooting star so fleeting and feeble
Yet the common redemption that we amateurs share, is that in a world that has gone detached from life’s simple joys, those moments of basking at the unknown and unfathomable is an experience far more profound and enlightening.
And then there are times when an enthusiast truly risks everything in pursuit of the rare.
For while we delight in the ordinary, what wonders could be expected in the extraordinary?
To say that a total solar eclipse is a rarity…. is an utter understatement.
The upcoming eclipse in Shanghai will be the longest in our lifetime.
And the chance to observe a similar event (at least for those based in the Philippines) might never pass again.
In the past we have travelled to the southernmost part of the country to chase the elusive; the odds almost insurmountable; the results heart-breaking.
The overcast ruined what otherwise would have been a spectacular view
So here we are again 14 long years after, with Nature beckoning and giving us a second chance.
We might have been scarred before but our spirits are not dampened.
Yet the bitter truth that we amateurs must face- and this is where the greatest risk lies - is that despite all our efforts and preparation, we will still be at the mercy of the Supreme during that crucial moment.
In the past I took lightly the words of a colleague that “astronomy is a humbling experience”. But only now do I truly realize what it meant.
We risk the indifference of others when we marvel at ordinary celestial events
We suffer ridicule when we revel at a seemingly banal night sky
We endure mockery when we find magic in the most mundane of things - a clear moonless night, a setting sun perhaps, a shooting star so fleeting and feeble
Yet the common redemption that we amateurs share, is that in a world that has gone detached from life’s simple joys, those moments of basking at the unknown and unfathomable is an experience far more profound and enlightening.
And then there are times when an enthusiast truly risks everything in pursuit of the rare.
For while we delight in the ordinary, what wonders could be expected in the extraordinary?
To say that a total solar eclipse is a rarity…. is an utter understatement.
The upcoming eclipse in Shanghai will be the longest in our lifetime.
And the chance to observe a similar event (at least for those based in the Philippines) might never pass again.
In the past we have travelled to the southernmost part of the country to chase the elusive; the odds almost insurmountable; the results heart-breaking.
The overcast ruined what otherwise would have been a spectacular view
So here we are again 14 long years after, with Nature beckoning and giving us a second chance.
We might have been scarred before but our spirits are not dampened.
Yet the bitter truth that we amateurs must face- and this is where the greatest risk lies - is that despite all our efforts and preparation, we will still be at the mercy of the Supreme during that crucial moment.
In the past I took lightly the words of a colleague that “astronomy is a humbling experience”. But only now do I truly realize what it meant.
I will be in Shanghai soon for that second chance - longing and hopeful.
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