2020 is off to a great start for the night sky! Cold temperatures last night made for some awesome star viewing. The temp was about minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit and thankfully it was a nice calm night with only the occasional slight breeze.
I made this photo along Old Highway 61 in Grand Portage, MN. There is so much going on in the sky here... I couldn't believe it when I saw how this photo came out. Orion can be seen very clearly just above the tree line a little to the left of center. Normally the constellations don't show up this well on such a wide angle shot (in this case, 14mm on a full-frame camera). Last night, however, the air quality was just right to make the brighter stars really pop out from the rest of the sky.
If you've never gone out on a cold winter's night to gaze at the stars, I urge you to do so. Stargazing is one of my favorite things to do. I've loved it ever since I was a kid. Thankfully I live where the views of the stars are almost completely unaffected by artificial light. Once again I am reminded of my all time favorite quote:
"For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream." -Vincent van Gogh
I sure am glad I got out a few nights ago to photograph the stars. We hadn't seen a clear night sky in quite a while, but on Friday we had ONE night of blissfully clear conditions before all the stormy weather moved in. Now the past few days has been nothing but a mix of rain, sleet, snow and high winds. Praying for some more calm weather and clear skies to come our way soon!
With the new year fast approaching, I'm sure there are many that are thinking of what their new year's resolutions might be. I've never been much for making resolutions at the dawn of a new year, but I am a proponent of being mindful of things that we've learned or things that we know we can do better with.
With that in mind, here are a few things I have become very mindful of over the past year and will work on continuing to be mindful of in the new year:
Being present, here and now.
Overthinking the past or the future.
Sacrificing your own happiness for others.
Thinking you're not good enough.
Nothing every really "happens", we're just here in the center of it all.
Wisdom says I'm nothing
Love says I'm everything
And in between those two
Is where I live
The 2nd annual Cook County Dark Sky Festival was this past weekend and it was awesome! We had another great turnout and I am so pleased with how our program went this year.
Thanks to my friends, colleagues and collaborators Joel Halvorson, Josh Wasniewski, UMD Planetarium staff, WTIP Community Radio, North House Folk School, Visit Cook County and of course all those that came to attend the program.
The response was incredible and I left the festival floating high on positive energy. Strong affirmations that I know what I'm doing is having an intensely positive effect on people's lives! So grateful...
Christmas Print Sale!
From now through December 15th, get 20% off all print orders from my website www.travisnovitsky.com!
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The road ahead is always beckoning...
