For those feeling cooped up under stay-at-home orders, here’s one safe idea that may lift the spirits and engage the whole family any night when skies are clear: turn off the porch light, step outside at night and admire the stars.
Venus is a spectacular “evening star” this month, joined for a few days by the crescent moon. Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars appear in the Southeast in the wee hours before dawn. You could even try some citizen science: go to GlobeAtNight.com and share your measurement of the faintest stars you can see, or use their lesson plans as a curriculum enrichment activity in your elementary, middle or high school. For more information, see idamass.wordpress.com and northamptoncitylights.org.
In the middle of a global calamity, the beauty of the starry night sky can soothe the soul and remind us of what unites all of humanity.
James Lowenthal
Northampton