Contemplating the stars above

"Do not complain under the stars of the lack of bright spots in your life"

                                                                                    - Henrik Wergeland

When I was 4 years old, I was allowed to stay out after dark. And one of those evenings, the skies were clear. And I could see the stars. While the other kids on my street were playing, I was transfixed by the sight above my head. I ran inside to ask my mom. What were those lights? She told me they were suns. Far away. My young mind was blown for the first time. Even at the age of 4, I understood that they needed to be very far away. 

Ever since that evening, the universe has continued to fascinate and thrill me. And for the past few years, I have also realized that it has been a source of therapy through my life. On multiple occasions, when I have been on a highpoint in my life, standing under a starry sky, has been a source of joy. And during the lowest points in my life, when the emotional pain has seemed unbearable, I have been standing under the stars. Dreaming away to another place. Another life. 

I once stood by my fathers grave. And I was suddenly aware of a familiar sound. The sound of the waterfalls of the rivers running down the steep sides of the mountain nearby. I grew up with those sounds. When the snow melted or when the rainstorms hit, their waters crashed down. My father brought his small family to this town when I was a small child. 30 years later, I carried him to his final resting place. In this town he met successes and failures. He worked hard and supported his family. Built a home with his own hands. 30 years after he arrived, his life was over. The sound of the rivers reminded me of the short time we spend on this earth. My father's life may have been full. But to the rivers, it was a mere blink of an eye.

Every time I have been to Namibia, just watching the stars with a naked eye has been soothing to me. Their brilliant shine is the same now as the first time I glimpsed them almost 50 years ago. Compared to my life, they are eternal. They look the same now as they did when Jesus walked on Earth 2000 years ago. Eternity imprinted on the dark skies above.

This time around, for a personal reason I will not reveal, the starry skies above held a special significance. And one of the nights, when everybody else had gone to bed, I stood there for a long time. Thinking. With mixed feelings. Both in pain and in gratitude. The stars above has for the past few years gotten a new meaning in my life. And their shine has been forever changed to my eyes.

And that new meaning will be with me all my days.

 

Blowing in the wind

Answers are not blowing in the wind, but our telescopes definitely are.

For the past few days, the wind has been relentless. And for a day or two, visual observing has been next to impossible. Luckily, imaging has fared better. Mostly because our telescopes are smaller, and therefore doesn't get caught that much by the winds. 

 

During the nights, the winds have rattled the windows and door of the rooms. Luckily, I have slept well despite this. I guess I am used to sleeping during a storm. Having grown up at the weatherbeaten northwest of Norway, I am not unfamiliar to strong winds. But I had hoped we would have been spared of it here in Namibia. Time is precious for us. We had 12 nights here. And this is the first time I have seen this much "weather" here. This is my fifth time, and I had previously (witha total of 50 nights) only had ONE night lost due to weather. 

But the images that I have taken seems to not have suffered too much. I have been able to take photos of some truly wonderful objects. My favorites under the southern skies. And I hope I will be able to process them carefully enough in the coming weeks and months to truly bring out the beauty of them. 

Omega Centauri, the amazing globular cluster. A giant ball of stars shining so brilliantly it actually burns into your retina. 

Eta Carina nebula. A vast swath of hydrogen gas glowing deep red in the skies. With so much details it is a feast to the eyes and mind.

Trifid nebula. A red and blue gas nebula resembling a flower. 

The amazing Antares area where yellow, red, blue and brown/dark gas and dust areas are visible within a small area around the giant star Antares.

I only hope I have been able to capture at least some of their splendor and beauty. Time will show.

The days here in Namibia are lazy. We spend much of the evening and night looking at objects in the skies, so during the days, we often sleep a little. Eat too much. And plan for the next night. 

With a view like this for breakfast...

...and this at dinner, no wonder we eat too much...

New Moon last night

 

But we also do some eploring of the surroundings. A group of us went on a 3 hour trip around the farm, seeing animals and great sites. I was not one of them. Maybe next time. But I did join the trip to a nearby observatory called HESS. High Energy Stereoscopic System. 5 giant telescopes working in union to observe high energy radiation from deep space. I have been there multiple times, but I love the site, and looking at the giant telescopes.

Our ride for the day

Dusty roads

The five telescopes, in their parking position

Currently, this is the largest optical telescope in the world

One of the smaller telescopes, with its camera protected in a shed

Great for selfies...

The big one!

The camera holder. The camera weighs several tons...

Another selfie with one of the scientists looking on...

Shadows on the red sand

On our way back, a herd of springbock ran across a field

One stopped to look at us

 

Around the astrofarm, there is ample opportunity for walks. 

 

And of course, the local cats don't mind some petting... 

At the time of writing, we have two more nights here. So I will try to make the best of it and catch as many photons as possible before I have to pack my bags and telescope for the long journey home. The Namibian adventure is coming to an end. Way too soon. As always.

Ready for a new night under the stars