Sedona's clear, dark nights are ideal for star-gazing and I could think of nothing better to do on New Year's Eve.
So last Wednesday I took a 15 minute drive from West Sedona to experience an unforgettable Tour of the Universe with Evening Sky Tours.
Along with a group of locals and tourists, I sat in fold 'em up chairs, warmed by blankets, and kept my head up, eyes peeled on the night sky open to see whatever I may.
Meanwhile, astronomers Dave and Matt had mighty telescopes to view stars in the sky and we took turns.
In addition to viewing the vast universe, they gave us the scoop on galaxies, comets, shooting stars, satellites, nebula and groups of young and old stars alike.
Turns out young and old aren't alike at all.
The Pleiades are the youngest stars in the Milky Way galaxy (that's our neighborhood) and as such--like Hollywood stars-- they're hot!
And give off a blue hue.
According to Dave, the Pleiades are about 150 million years young, so young they weren't even around when the dinosaurs roamed earth.
Of course, Pleiades have nothing on the M15s--a group of stars just shy of Venus and 12 billion years old.
They're smoking red hot!
Which is good news for us aging stars.
Apparently, we get hotter with age.
When I looked through the telescope at the Pleiades, I saw twinkling flecks of star light.
The stars appeared like thousands of diamonds against the night sky, and reminded me of sand sparkling in the sun after a tide washes over, cleaning the way.
The way.
Vast.
Human problems seem insignificant under a blanket of stars, until you go inward and start thinking about those problems again.
Mostly, I stayed connected to the night sky during my Tour of the Universe, but I couldn't help but wonder if the Israelis and Palestinians, and the divisive Muslims and Christians, and the quarrelsome families of the world--I wondered if everyone agreed to look up--away from the cities and their "small" thinking--I wondered if the night sky could bring peace to the world.
But mostly I enjoyed being far from civilization, and lights, and the ways of our world, and connected to the night sky instead.
When was the last time you consciously viewed a star millions, billions or trillions of light years away?
According to Cliff of Evening Sky Tours, Sedona has some of the best night sky conditions in the United States due to its small population, remote location and good lighting ordinances, which protect the night sky.
This tour was a highlight of my Sedona trip.
For more information, you can call (928) 853-9778 or go to their web site at www.eveningskytours.com
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