It is time to revisit another of my essays for the Baen
Books website, “The Size Of It All,” in which I discuss the sheer scale of the observable universe. To summarize, IT IS HUGE.
But HUGE does the universe a disservice.
I was reminded of this the other night when I was in my
front yard stargazing – and sighting some magnificent shooting stars during the
Perseid Meteor Shower. As I sat in my
favorite camping chair gazing at infinity, I once again drifted into one of my
more common daydreams – reproduced here from my Baen essay:
“One of my favorite daydreams is also one of my scariest.
When I am outside on a clear, cloudless night, I like to imagine that I am on a
spaceship in the deep between the stars, looking out at the vastness of the
universe. During this daydream, I often fondly recall my favorite science
fictional spaceships – the Enterprise (Star Trek Classic, of course!), the
Drusus (from the pulpish German language serial Perry Rhodan), or the Nostromo
(Alien) – and wonder what it would be like to be truly in the middle of deep
space, far from Earth and our familiar solar system. My thoughts alternating
between the wonder of it all and the terrifying thought of what it would be
like to be stranded there, so far from home.”
For me it was an almost spiritual moment and one I wish more
people could share. So go outside on a
night with clear skies and let yourself get lost in infinity. I think you’ll find it exhilarating (and,
yes, a little scary).
Les Johnson
co-author (with Ben Bova) of Rescue Mode - coming in
paperback this September from Baen Books
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