Being a morning person

Being a morning person has a great number of advantages--no matter what my spouse and friends mutter under their breath. But exploring all of them is not in my mind this morning. I have one in particular that I feel like wandering into. When I get to work in the morning, it is quite dark. The NASA center where I work is located on an army reservation. Therefore it is far removed from the city light pollution, and it is the best place in this area to see the sky, and actually see the sky, discounting leaving the city limits by some number of miles. I enjoyed the show this morning, which began with the last quarter moon overhead smiling down on me. Luna was perched just north of Orion, sitting above his right shoulder. Yet another sign that fall has arrived, the appearance of Orion moving into the night sky and Leo moving out. Orion must be one of the most recognizable constellations. So many of my friends know it and Ursa Major...and that's about it. But Orion is a fun one to know. His belt and Betelgeuse make him interesting to watch...and that little haze of the Orion Nebula on his sword.

The recommended time for meteor sighting is quite late into the night, late enough that those who do have to rise for work won't bother. The wee hours of the morning, say about 4 am, reveal some few stragglers as well, particularly in a very dark sky.

Let us not forget the incredible sunrises one is treated to also. Red sky at morning... Well, I have seen the sky burn with the deepest red, fading into rich oranges or pinks and purples as the fire burns into the embers of morning. People come dragging into work or fully awake but oblivious to the world. So few realize the conflagration that blazed on the hill to the east an hour or more before they were even out of bed. The intensity of the show was so brilliant. You can hear the crackle of the fire. How did they sleep through it??

So the fireworks of the early morning sky are one of the reasons why I relish being a morning person. The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork...Psalm 19:1.