Secrets of the Night Sky
Staring up at the endless night sky
Eyes wandering…
Contemplating…
The stillness of deep space
Far beyond imagination
Infinite and without comparison
This amazement which never ceases
Artistry without comparison
Tiny pinpoints of light
Reaching out to somewhere
Everywhere…
Their miles measured in the millions
Perhaps trillions…
Staged on a canvas of inky blackness
Randomness…
And yet order discovered within it
Ancient in origin
Supernal historians
Aesthetic interpretations
Imagination…
Archer, Twins, and the Hunter
Seasonal illuminations
Called constellations
Mythologies grew dependent
On iconic images above
Navigation…
Measuring time
Permanent anchors in the night sky
Beacons of hope
Celestial guides…
Providing light in the darkness
Constellations of the Night Sky
Many of our modern-day constellations can be found in a book called the Almagest, written circa 150 A.D. by Ptolemy, an Alexandrian astronomer. Ptolemy used a combination of historical data and his own celestial observations from about 120-150 A.D. to compose his work. There are 48 constellations listed in his work.
There are 21 Northern Constellations – Andromeda, Aquila, Auriga, Boötes, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Corona Borealis, Cygnus, Delphinus, Draco, Equuleus, Hercules, Lyra, Ophiuchus, Pegasus, Perseus, Sagitta, Serpens, Triangulum, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor
The traditional 12 Zodiacal Constellations – Aries, Aquarius, Cancer, Capricornus, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Pisces, Sagittarius, Scorpius, Taurus, Virgo
There are also 15 Southern Constellations – Ara, Argo Navis, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Centaurus, Cetus, Corona Australis, Corvus, Crater, Eridanus, Hydra, Lepus, Lupus, Orion, Pisces Austrinus
- When We Lost Control - October 13, 2025
- The Crumbling Space Around Me - October 10, 2025
- Sorrow - October 9, 2025
Great work, Ralph. Your verse put me outside at night gazing at our amazing sky. The night sky always brings thoughts of all the mythologies connected with it. Wonderful verse.
Such a lovely journey into the infinite starry skies, as seen through ancient and modern eyes. A wonder to behold, expressed with elegant verse. Enjoyed it Ralph!
Best,
Mel
Great work Ralph, so enthralling the cosmos; gives us some grounding to think how small our world is within the infinite. Excellent
Thanks one and all – I’ve written countless verses about the stars and the skies but the vastness continues to provide new materials (maybe there is a Sky Muse up there somewhere?)
We say that it is infinite, but there has to be a finite end somewhere. It is impossible to fathom though. How some of the light we are seeing is a star that is already dead and 20,00 years prior and we are just catching a glimpse of its burn out now, is just mind boggling. To think that there is a world out there somewhere that intellectual creatures speak of our planet as that small blue dot in the sky. Great piece Ralph