Stars

When I was a kid, I used to wonder how the ancient Greeks ever saw enough stars to make constellations out of them. Most nights the sky was overcast, or there was so much light pollution that the stars were far and few between. (For a while, I also didn't realize I needed glasses, and I remember thinking, "how did they see any stars at all?")

Then one night I went on a camping trip, and we camped in a field miles and miles from any towns. The stars were blazing with cold blue-white light, billions of them, sprinkled so thickly over the sky I couldn't count them. I was awestruck. I kept saying, "WOW, look at the STARS!" Periodically I'd see a meteor slide down the curve of the sky, leaving a trail of light behind it. It wasn't a meteor shower or anything special, just a regular night out in the country. I realized, this is what it looked like all the time before electric lighting. It was an incredible experience.