Whilst I was living in Aotearoa I knew the sky like the back of my hand. I could name all the significant stars, draw out the constellations and tell stories of their importance through different cultures and time. I could tell you which dots of light were planets, which were nebula and which are clusters, guiding you around even the faintest marks that the naked eye may usually miss. I could even tell you without a shed of doubt when the moving light across the sky is in fact not a plane, but the International space station.
I worked as a stargazing guide and this was a great job. One I desperately tried to find upon returning to the UK, with no luck, but it was also so much more than a job. Understanding the sky in such detail has done so much for me personally and mentally, to which I will attempt to put into words.
It has brought me comfort as I've travelled to new places and could still look up at the same stars I spent every night with back home. When I'm alone or feeling down I can look up at the elegant, golden light of Arcturus, our fourth brightest star, and instantly feel connected to the moments I spent looking at him with friends, from our balcony in Takapō.
Even in the bright city lights of Tokyo, I could still look up and find Vega high in the sky, shining through the cloud of light pollution.
As someone who has solo travelled a lot, and is constantly moving to new places alone, being able to find that connection to loved ones wherever I go is priceless.
The night sky also gives me a deep sense of awe and childlike wonder. To be able to glance at the horizon, when taking out the glass bin out, mid-shift at work, and see two planets- Jupiter and Venus, setting with the sun adds a touch of magic to an otherwise mundane 24 hours.
I love the dark and the night. It provides an opportunity to connect with something greater than whatever is going on in my life at that time. I mean we are literally looking up at the same stars as the dinosaurs, that's pretty cool.
I have been lucky enough to have some pretty incredible encounters with our sky. I have seen an Aurora brighter and more magnificent than any photo could capture, literally dancing across the sky.
I've stood alone, in the vast expanse of the Australian outback and watched a breathtaking, golden full moon rise above the desert bush.
As I left work after my final tour, we saw a meteor flash across the sky in bold shades of green, as if the sky was saying goodbye to me.
I've seen Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS with my own naked eyes, a sight that won't return for another 80,000, if ever.
I've thrown milk to the big spoon to make a wish in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia.
One of my favourite moments was when I was giving my final tour, I was telling a story I wrote to my guests in the hot pools, one that led us through the solar system as if we were travellers. As we arrived to Saturn in my story, he rose above the mountains in front of me, shining brighter than I'd ever seen him, I told my guests to turn around and made all 30 of their days. He was just in time for us to be able to observe him through the telescope for the first time in six months! I promise you, you'll never forget the first time you gaze upon Saturns rings through a telescope.
The past few nights as I walk home from work, I've been looking up at the night sky and a sadness has settled in because I no longer recognise it. As life gets busier I am losing this connection that holds such value. I plan on fixing this by combing through my old astronomy books, going on long walks in the dark and lying under the stars again. When I will find time for this.. I'm not yet sure, but I do know that the night is something definitely worth making time for.
I have a growing collection of Astronomy prints, shop now to find a piece of art that reminds you to make time for nurturing this connection, sign up to my newsletter to be notified when new ones are illustrated.
The night sky is so special, it's our home as much as the ground beneath us. Throughout history we have used it for navigation, as a calendar and for fireside storytelling. Darkness is crucial for our mental and physical wellbeing, it's crucial for biodiversity and it still holds incredible cultural importance for many people across the world. Did you know that the rising of Matariki (a star cluster you may know as Pleiades or Suburu) marks the beginning or the Māori New Year.
Our night sky is also under threat, with billionaires putting more and more satellites up into orbit. The accumulative light from these satellites is lightening our sky across the globe and this will be irreversible damage. In future I would like to write more about the harmful affects of light pollution but for now, you can learn more about it at Dark Sky International
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