Undergraduate /
Vastness of the COSMOS; NYU / What Intrigues You? [8]
So I just finished this and I would certainly appreciate anyone's opinion on it.
Here's the question: What intrigues you? Tell us about one work of art, scientific achievement, piece of literature, method of communication, or place in the world (a film, book, performance, website, event, location, etc.), and explain its significance to you. (max 1500 characters)
The vastness of the cosmos; it's remarkably serene, with perfect silence. Though the most violent and unforgiving of environments. This poised equilibrium yields innate beauty, which has intrigued me since adolescence.
Lying in the dew kissed grass under the night sky with my father by my side. Crystal above us, the millions of stars exquisitely glistened. My eyes trickled across the deep blue atmosphere, and made their way to the glowing full moon, illuminating the branches it hid behind. I would imagine myself on the surface, jumping higher and higher, looking back upon Earth, my home and family.
My father spoke on about Venus, which blazed a brilliant white in the corner of sky. He indicated the constellations, the big dipper and Polaris; elaborated on the distances of Betelgeuse and the other planets in our solar system. I'd elected Bellatrix my favorite star, largely because it sounded pretty. The way he spoke with such insight, such excitement, lit within me the flame of enthusiasm and wonder toward the cosmos.
Over the years my interest has matured, to a more scientific one, as I eagerly absorb any information fed to me. What's most intriguing however is how changes occur without observable recognition. Catastrophic endings and beautiful births of stars occur much like a dance; the same steps with short bursts of something different. How the familiar night sky is actually a glimpse into the history of the universe, when so many people look up to it for answers to the future.