A comet, the Universe and me.

I managed not to hear about comet Neowise in the western sky until two evenings ago after I arrived back at our home in Colorado.  When it got dark my wife took me outside to look at it.  Later during Maddy’s last walk of the day, we gazed at it a few more minutes, than retired to a good night sleep, after my rare nearly non-stop drive home from Phoenix.

 Source: EarthObservatory 

From our 7,300' perch, we have splendid "Dark Skies" - (Though there are the glowing domes of surrounding towns off in the distance, heck if meteorological conditions are just right we can see the very distant glow above Gallup, NM some 130 straight arrow miles away and a thousand feet lower.) 

Last night we looked at it again, and then before bed I stepped outside for another look before turning in. But sleep didn't come, instead I was dreaming of tasting more of that night sky, so I snuck out of bed leaving my wife and Maddy behind and returned to the night.

With my naked eyes it was a hazy spot and smudge, but with the binoculars it took on size, brightness and details.  Quite a beautiful comet.  As a bonus the background took on oodles of stars and galaxies not visible to my naked eyes.  

About that Earth Centrism.

I have a couple days to myself and I'm caught up on outdoor chores, I'd hoped to get focused on some started project, instead just feeling numb.  Not sure where to start or what the point is for that matter.  Instead I've slipped into year end musing and since this month seems to be about me trying to explain myself and why these thoughts matter, I think it's time to bring this biographical effort over here.  I'll spare the introduction, suffice it to say it's the script to a 20 minute talk.

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Hello, my name is Peter Miesler and I am an Earth Centrist. 

I admit, I’m hoping you’re wondering what in the world is that, and why on Earth should you care.

I even spent a couple weeks writing an essay describing this particular perspective.  It turned out pretty good, it was tight, flowed well, told a story that held attention and people liked reading it.

I sent it around, even received a couple attaboys from some genuine science Who’s Who, who are usually silent, which did me a bit of good, I’m not the crazy one after all.  :-)  I have enunciated something valuable, that too many overlook.  But that was about it.

When reading it to friends though they seemed to listen with interest it left them a bit perplexed rather than enlightened;  Okay? Fun interesting read, now what am I supposed to do with it?  What is it actually about?  And so on.  In responding I was down to, 

"It’s about perspectives and how we process the information that’s flowing through our senses." 

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Thinking on it some more I know that it's about much more than that.  

Is anybody out there?

When we get down to the essence of the problem . . .

     

Citizenschallenge, why are you an Earth Centrists?  What does that mean?