Scattered as if by divine afterthought, the stars overwhelm the midnight sky. One occasionally breaks its celestial perch, the mystery of the cosmos tumbling to earth. It is inspiring, observing the undulations of the little underpinnings of heaven.
But here you are in a classroom writing a paper, wasting away under cheap florescent bulbs.
Taking a moment to gaze at the night sky may not solve your academic or even personal woes, but it may make them seem as distant and as simple as the stars.
A 2015 study by the American Psychological Association confirmed what people have found to be true for centuries: a sense of awe can diminish your awareness of yourself and your problems. Awe-inducing experiences like stargazing were found to inspire moral choices, generosity, and positive behavior towards others.
Because the tangible effects of such a transcendent experience are notoriously difficult to quantify, little further research exists on the subject. But consider this:
In the face of the infinite night sky, your circumstances are a single knot on an immeasurable timeline. Your GPA is a mere number in a cosmos that is not quantifiable. Your essay is a blank slate in a world bursting with words. You are just one person in a universe full of life. You are not insignificant, but perhaps your circumstances are. And the earth will keep on turning whether or not you let it.
Awe holds the power of the diminishing self. But why should we look to the stars? Stargazing is not just good for producing awe, but also for the situation it creates: a time of quiet, an opportunity for prayer and meditation. If you are alone, stargazing inspires deep thoughts; if you’re with a friend, deep conversations. A study published in the European Journal of Ecopsychology found that stargazing amplified positive emotions and a sense of connectedness to nature.
If you decide to watch the night sky, here are some things to look for: a full moon on April 22, the Eta Aquarid meteor shower on the night of May 5, the new moon on May 6. Throughout spring, keep an eye out for Hercules and The Big Dipper.
Michigan residents have a unique opportunity: Headlands International Dark Sky Park. If you are looking to dedicate a whole evening to watching the stars, the park, which meets standards for minimal light pollution, is 4.5 hours away on Lake Michigan at the tip of the mitten.
Watch the stars, then finish your tasks with new energy and fall asleep overwhelmed by the grandeur of the universe. Then in the morning, the sun will rise in radiance, and so will you.
The profound beauty innate to the night sky inspires poetry like Sarah Williams’: “Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light; / I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.”