On a Walk to Cassiopeia

It's ruddy dark is the polite way of putting it.  I finish work at 17:30, go home have some tea and then take the dog for a walk.  She is a black labrador who likes running around in hedges and upsetting less fortunate creatures who have spent all day in fear of death from the next step up in the food chain.  The problem is that a black dog running along a black line of hedgerows in the pitch black makes it hard to keep up with her.  I have equipped myself with a bloody good torch but even so it can be difficult.

There is a positive side to this.  On nights like last night you look up and see an array of lighty dots in the sky.  Thanks to Google Skymap on my phone I can get an insight into what I'm looking at.  I've always had a passing interest in astronomy.  It was the kind of thing I was saving up for retirement (if I ever get there).  Jupiter is quite prominent at the moment.  It is quite easily the brightest dot on display.  Last night I pointed my phone straight up and saw a W-shaped constellation.  It was quite distinct and when I lined it up with the sky map it informed me I was looking at Cassiopeia.  You have no idea how satisfying it is to point up at a cluster of stars and say "that's Cassiopeia".  This is a fringe benefit of having to walk the dog at night.  Finally I get to look at the stars.

It can be quite an uplifting and terrifying experience contemplating the immensity of the universe.  I am reminded of Zaphod stepping into the perspective machine.  When I listen to the Rachmaninov Vespers it is this immensity of scale that comes to mind, I challenge anyone to listen to that music and not be moved by it.  The universe is a wonderfully quiet place.  One slightly unpopular planet in the western spiral arm of a galaxy called the milky way is a bit noisy but apart from that it is golden silence.  And emptiness.  With the odd ball of fire.

It's normally at this point I am transported back to reality by some religious nut leaping out at me and shouting 'a ha, you see you are religious.  Now you must follow me and do what I tell you'  Christopher Hitchens has made the point on many occasions that it is not beyond the capabilities of the rational to experience those numinous feelings.  One of the great crimes of religion has been to steal terms for their own meaning.  So now it is impossible to be spiritual without being religious.  This is me at my most spiritual.  It is a wonderfully calming feeling to know that no matter what crap is going on here.  As far as the universe is concerned its not even worth registering.

Today I shall look up the story of Cassiopeia so when I go out tonight I can put some drama to the constellation.  All I know at the moment is that Cassiopeia was an incredible vain person.  A bit like my dog really who is absolutely convinced of her own power of cuteness.  Maybe I should have called her Cass.