I’ve been living here for a couple of weeks now, but I haven’t looked at the stars. For one thing, nights have been rainy and overcast. For another, I’ve been sleeping pretty well and am not prone to do more in the wee hours other than take my levothyroxine.
Last night, though, Luna woke me up at 04:30 and I noticed that the sky seemed clear, dark, and dry. The moon had set. I wandered outside and was dazzled when I looked up into the sky. The night sky is amazing here. There are no city lights and (absent Pele acting up) there’s little pollution. People on this side of the mountain monitor their light pollution out of respect for the astronomers a few miles away and 14,000 feet up.
I couldn’t really identify the few constellations I know amid the fecund seas of twinkling lights. I had trouble keeping my balance when I looked up. It was dazzling.
—2p