The substance of supernovas
Connection with nature doesn’t just have to be a daytime thing, nor does it always have to be a terrestrial experience. Tonight, fulfil your #NaturePact by going outside and, for at least 20 minutes, looking up at the stars.
If you are in a city, you may just make out pinpricks of silver patterned across the skies, distant constellations punctuated by the brighter splashes of planets. If you are in a place where there is little or no artificial light, you may see the whole vivid night theatre of the galaxy that contains our own solar system: the hazy platinum strands of The Milky Way, framing the lithe dark shape of the Emu in the Sky.
When we look at this incandescent light show, we are literally seeing time, coming towards us. Because all these stars are so far way in space, the glow originated by each takes years to reach a point where it is visible to the naked eye.
And incredibly, we are also connecting with our ‘kin.’ For we, all creatures, and the earth we stand on are made of many of the same elements as the stars. Elements like oxygen, carbon, nitrogen; hydrogen, phosphorous, sulphur. Every leaf, fish scale, feather and cell is descended from the cosmos. Imagine that. We’re the substance of supernovas.
Koala Eco is the principal supporter for the People and Parks Foundation’s 2022 #NaturePact campaign, which aims to encourage as many people as possible to spend more time connecting with the outdoor world during September. To sign up, or find out more go to:
