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(meteorobs) Observers are Astronomers
Dear Group,
I had to share this with you guys, even if you've read or seen it before.
Last night I started on Chapter 17 from Dr Sagan's Pale Blue Dot titled:
"Routine Interplanetary Violence". Dr. Sagan is speaking about the incredible
beauty of cometary-based meteor showers, specifically the Perseids, when all
of a sudden he strikes an almost chilling chord..... seemingly directed at ME
and ALL the members of this group.
He says: "But the beauty of a meteor shower should NOT deceive us: There is a
continuum that connects these shimmering visitors to our night skies with the
destruction of worlds." And, of course he is correct.... if I was Mr Spock,
I most certainly would have been compelled to say... "Fascinating".
Later on in the Chapter Dr Sagan pays homage to all the members of MeteorObs
by saying: "There are Astronomers whose idea of a good time is to stay up
till dawn on a cold, moonless night taking pictures of the sky.... In any
given year there might be worldlets wholly unknown, never seen before, that
approach the Earth and are spied by these dedicated observers"
Dave Garrison