I just put away our (plastic) branch for hanging Tanabata wishes! I only have two kids at home right now so not too many wishes fluttering on it, but I found some old ones in the box, and that was fun! I hear you about light pollution, we are supposedly going to be able to see the northern lights this week and I'm wondering if it'll really be possible. Here's a link for anyone in these states who wants to give it a go: https://www.npr.org/2023/07/09/1186525577/northern-lights-aurora-borealis-2023
Nice!!!! I hope you get to see the lights! Let me know if you seem them? I have always wanted to see them and someday want to travel to Finland or Alaska or Iceland.... or... New Hampshire :)
I always forget Tanabata until the tree displays in the local malls with the kids' wishes on them. I always enjoy this. A little like Christmas. I live in the Echigo region, so no problem with stars. We can see them every night just outside our house. Orion is in the sky year-round.
I always thought it was a little like Christmas too! You’re so lucky that you have stars. I don’t think I saw the Milky Way in the entire two decades I lived in Japan. And I never see it in Southern California anymore.
Yeah, growing up in the midwest, it's nice to have the stars. Lived in Long Beach for five years and I don't remeber seeing the stars, not even at Griffith Obv.
Jul 8, 2023·edited Jul 8, 2023Liked by Leanne Ogasawara
I lived in Japan in 1975. I must say the night sky in Tokyo and Sapporo was also pretty empty. But when I got home to the Queensland countryside, I was overwhelmed by the majesty of the night sky. The Milky Way and every single star could be seen in a kind of 3-D splendour. It wasn't stars studded on a dome; you could almost peer into the depths of the universe.
When I lived in Ulaanbaatar (2016-22), the night sky was also pretty drab -- at most five or six stars, depending on the night. One time last year we went to the deep countryside of Mongolia and I was again overwhelmed by the breathtaking view of the night sky, even more than I remembered in Queensland many years ago.
Alas, upon returning to Queensland I find that the night sky here, while still impressive, can't hold a candle to the sky I saw in the Mongolian countryside. The problem isn't air pollution, it's light pollution. Where I live is near Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. Because Brisbane is steadily expanding, and the population of the Sunshine Coast had been increasing even more rapidly during the time I was away (and still is), the light from Brisbane and towns near us is causing the sky to become more and more washed out compared with what it was in the past. Get away from a big city and I'm pretty sure you'll see an amazing night sky over North America.
We have a terrible issue with light pollution in California as well. When I was a little girl, we could see the Milky Way from our driveway in Los Angeles. Now you can barely see anything. But it’s true. If you get out of the city suddenly, the stars appear. The most beautiful night sky I’ve ever seen lives on the summit of Maunakea. I do miss seeing the stars at night!
This is a strange because I thought I posted a reply here yesterday and now I don’t see it. Did you ever get a reply? I feel like I’m losing emails too. I shouldn’t say I feel like it I know I am and one was a contract for something I was getting paid for. Anyway, I seem to be having technical issues.
Yes, you replied to me, and I can see it. This vehicle that you are using (substack) has a very idiosyncratic way of displaying threads. It's easy to get lost, and sometimes things seem to disappear, or at least you can't find them.
I also just tried to respond to this comment on my phone and was unable to! I am at my desktop now. I am having definite issues with email all of a sudden (I have a new email address and host). And now, I am thinking I miss comments on this Substack too... I now see my comment (On desktop). UGH!!!!
has the night of stars
taken flight? left us only
the dark illumined sight of absence? -- oh heart,
be my guide & keep
Beautiful, Sally!!!!! I always read your words aloud to hear the music!
Thank you, Leanne!
I just put away our (plastic) branch for hanging Tanabata wishes! I only have two kids at home right now so not too many wishes fluttering on it, but I found some old ones in the box, and that was fun! I hear you about light pollution, we are supposedly going to be able to see the northern lights this week and I'm wondering if it'll really be possible. Here's a link for anyone in these states who wants to give it a go: https://www.npr.org/2023/07/09/1186525577/northern-lights-aurora-borealis-2023
Nice!!!! I hope you get to see the lights! Let me know if you seem them? I have always wanted to see them and someday want to travel to Finland or Alaska or Iceland.... or... New Hampshire :)
Lovely post.
I always forget Tanabata until the tree displays in the local malls with the kids' wishes on them. I always enjoy this. A little like Christmas. I live in the Echigo region, so no problem with stars. We can see them every night just outside our house. Orion is in the sky year-round.
I always thought it was a little like Christmas too! You’re so lucky that you have stars. I don’t think I saw the Milky Way in the entire two decades I lived in Japan. And I never see it in Southern California anymore.
Yeah, growing up in the midwest, it's nice to have the stars. Lived in Long Beach for five years and I don't remeber seeing the stars, not even at Griffith Obv.
No, there is so much light pollution in Los Angeles! There is a wonderful book called The End of the Night: Searching for Dark Skies in an Age of Artificial Light, by Paul Bogard... loved it. I wrote a short essay a few years back here https://3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2017/05/river-of-heaven-%E5%A4%A9%E3%81%AE%E5%B7%9D.html
0.0 Will read!
I lived in Japan in 1975. I must say the night sky in Tokyo and Sapporo was also pretty empty. But when I got home to the Queensland countryside, I was overwhelmed by the majesty of the night sky. The Milky Way and every single star could be seen in a kind of 3-D splendour. It wasn't stars studded on a dome; you could almost peer into the depths of the universe.
When I lived in Ulaanbaatar (2016-22), the night sky was also pretty drab -- at most five or six stars, depending on the night. One time last year we went to the deep countryside of Mongolia and I was again overwhelmed by the breathtaking view of the night sky, even more than I remembered in Queensland many years ago.
Alas, upon returning to Queensland I find that the night sky here, while still impressive, can't hold a candle to the sky I saw in the Mongolian countryside. The problem isn't air pollution, it's light pollution. Where I live is near Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. Because Brisbane is steadily expanding, and the population of the Sunshine Coast had been increasing even more rapidly during the time I was away (and still is), the light from Brisbane and towns near us is causing the sky to become more and more washed out compared with what it was in the past. Get away from a big city and I'm pretty sure you'll see an amazing night sky over North America.
We have a terrible issue with light pollution in California as well. When I was a little girl, we could see the Milky Way from our driveway in Los Angeles. Now you can barely see anything. But it’s true. If you get out of the city suddenly, the stars appear. The most beautiful night sky I’ve ever seen lives on the summit of Maunakea. I do miss seeing the stars at night!
This is a strange because I thought I posted a reply here yesterday and now I don’t see it. Did you ever get a reply? I feel like I’m losing emails too. I shouldn’t say I feel like it I know I am and one was a contract for something I was getting paid for. Anyway, I seem to be having technical issues.
Yes, you replied to me, and I can see it. This vehicle that you are using (substack) has a very idiosyncratic way of displaying threads. It's easy to get lost, and sometimes things seem to disappear, or at least you can't find them.
I also just tried to respond to this comment on my phone and was unable to! I am at my desktop now. I am having definite issues with email all of a sudden (I have a new email address and host). And now, I am thinking I miss comments on this Substack too... I now see my comment (On desktop). UGH!!!!