Today saw the greatest news for dorks like me. NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has now reached Pluto after being launched in 1999 at Cape Canaveral, FL.
As a pre-pubescent child, I developed an interest in astronomy since our science class in elementary school required us to read on our own. Even outside our science class, I tried to read on it as much as I can because I was so fascinated about the fact that the universe is so vast and that there might be other planets with life forms that are not discovered yet. I was in fifth grade when I first learned how to use star maps and planet charts on my own. I used my dad's nautical navigation book by Nathaniel Bowditch for that. Though it was too complex for my eleven-year old brain to digest, I got the hang of it through practice and constantly pestering my dad. Haha. It was my proudest moment when I found the North Star using Bowditch's charts. Sometimes my younger sister, Chamu and younger brother, Peng would come with me to the roof of our workers' kitchen to watch the night sky, find the constellations and wait for the planets to appear. We would strain our eyes so we can see Uranus, Neptune and Pluto but daddy said that those three are the most difficult to spot by the naked eye.
If we're not having financial difficulty at that time, I would've asked my dad to buy me a telescope. I have a classmate whose dad owns a telescope and I'm envious of her because she already saw Mars, Jupiter, its red dot and some of its moons; Saturn and its rings. She graciously invited us to come but the best time to see the planets would be in the wee hours of the night and we're not allowed to be out at those times. Sleepovers are rarely heard of in the mountains that I am living in. Hrhr.
In high school, I still watched the night sky but eventually stopped as school work increased. Though I haven't used a star chart in a long time, whenever I look up the sky and see the stars, constellations, and the familiar glow of the planets, it felt like I saw my old friends again.
And that is the reason why I love everything with stars and anything star-shaped.
But nowadays, thanks to the internet, I now have the means to know the latest about astronomy. I got thrilled about discoveries of new planets, got bewildered when Pluto wasn't considered a planet because it made me feel like my childhood was a lie (LOL), got to see photos of Mars, and many others.
However, this breakthrough in Pluto excited me most because after being dismissed as a planet, it will hopefully bounce back to planethood (if there is such a word) with a bang. It was also exciting because this is the chance for us to know more about Pluto since we know little about this planet. I'll stay tuned for more news. I can't wait for more information about its five moons, particularly Charon, Styx and Kerberos. Sana hindi lang sila alikabok sa Kuiper Belt. Hihi.
Photo from 9gag.
