STARS
STARS
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June 17, 2022
July 11, 2022
Webb’s First Deep FieldNASA's James Webb Space Telescope
Webb’s First Deep FieldNASA's James Webb Space Telescope
August 11, 2022
About a month before infrared images of the universe were released, I saw stars of another kind. They were displayed on a screen at the laundromat, surrounded by pill-shaped rainbows. The brand new TV still had the plastic film and it wasn’t plugged in, yet the picture that day was remarkable. Almost like the one taken by the James Webb Space Telescope.
Apparently light travels in straight lines, often because it’s the shortest path. Interference is what reveals the full spectrum of colors. If that’s the way to witness a spectacular world (or galaxy), then I don’t mind the detours.
September 17, 2022
On June 20, 2020, I discovered that I need not go far to experience something great. It could be right above me, steps away from home. What can only be described as dancing stars, color and sound express it best.
June 5, 2024
Last week, I saw an actor twice in one day. It’s not unusual to see famous people in New York City. But, having seen a photo of him the day before, indicating that he was in the area, and walking past him more than once made me think about why we get starstruck. The word itself stood out for two reasons. Earlier in the week, I went to the Vanderbilt Museum to meet up with an old friend and her family. We happened to see a planetarium show there, titled Sunstruck. Oddly enough, Moonstruck was rewatched a few days before. For years, I’ve been reminded that the movie was filmed in the neighborhood and made a mental note to see it again someday. Most of the time, I put off doing things not knowing why except that it doesn’t feel right. Arriving at moments like this make it ever so clear. Waiting for things to line up reveals what bears weight and brings forth meaning. I’ll never know who spotted the first asterism or constellation. I can only imagine what it must have felt like, to notice patterns and know that they’re pointing you in the right direction. The North Star.
January 10, 2025
Fun is what I was after when I agreed to a roller disco session at Xanadu with my sister. Magic is what awaited me. “Lucky Star” on the radio upon my arrival at Starr Street—an amusing sign. The space-themed carpet inside...cosmic continuity. Fun was had. I could’ve left it at that. But a succession of synchronicities felt more promising.
I thought I had heard of Xanadu in a song—not in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem, “Kubla Khan,” nor the musical Xanadu. It wasn’t what I had in mind, but the song “Magic,” from Xanadu, was all I needed to hear. I felt the promise in the air. The planets did align. The brilliance of Venus and Saturn that night led to the discovery of “wandering stars” and “fixed stars,” by me and those before me.
I learned that stars have a destination as well. This was illuminated by a stargazing app that highlighted the high proper motion star, Biham (Theta Pegasi). Belonging to the constellation Pegasus, the Winged Horse, it’s a star on the move—metaphorically and literally. ChatGPT interpreted this sighting as “a symbolic nudge from the universe to move forward with trust, even when progress feels invisible or slow.” Within the same frame, Fomalhaut was nearby. It’s not visible to the naked eye, so I wouldn’t have seen it otherwise. Known as the “Watcher of the South,” it’s a star of great potential and spiritual inspiration, encouraging us to use our imagination and creativity to manifest our higher vision with integrity.
In the musical, nine muses—the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (goddess of memory)—are represented. Their inclusion reminds us that inspiration and insight are gifted to us. Coleridge’s famous poem may have been drug-induced, but he touched upon the heart of escapism. That is: we want to be amused. It helps us overcome the insurmountable with levity and grace.
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