The upcoming Solar Eclipse which in a way is a miracle of nature shows us the innerworkings of our Solar System and makes us aware of the fact that we live on the Planet Earth that we call our home.
To think that our whole Solar System is just a tiny particle in a Galaxy that we call Milky Way and that our Galaxy itself is also just a tiny particle amongst billions and billions of other Galaxies makes one wonder if we as Human Beings really matter in the big picture of things and what role our existence plays in the big scheme of things.
The simple answer is that we exist and that it has taken us billions of years to evolve from single cell organisms that were the basic blocks of life as we know it. So our existence does matter somehow as we are an integral part of our Universe and are somehow connected to every Star and Galaxy out there that can be seen through our telescopes.
So you might ask what is our purpose in this Universe and to a bigger extent what is the purpose of Life as we know it.
To recognize our purpose and the role that we play in the big scheme of things we need not look through a telescope, but rather we need to search deep within our own minds as certain things are just beyond physical existence and cannot be reached by rockets and spaceships since we can only see and experience them through our minds.
Yes, the mind can be a powerful telescope (and microscope) that can take us to the edge of Time and Space and back and give us a clear picture of our surroundings both in the micro and macro scale provided that we learn how to use it. (more on this at my website SentientAssistant.com)
PS: the best way to watch today's Solar Eclipse is probably on TV since light sensors whether natural like our eyes or artificial like our smartphone cameras can be adversely affected by direct sunlight specially when looking through a telescope that is not equipped with a special filter and which can amplify the burning effect of the direct sunlight.
I wouldn't recommend looking at the Sun unless you are a trained astronomer and scientist and have the right scientific equipment and filters because looking at the Sun through a telescope can fry those cheap filters that are available for just a few dollars and consequently damage the eyes.
On a related note, take extra precautions at all times with babies that are lying down in baby carriages and that are facing the sky as their eyes are bound to get hit with Sunlight more than adults if they are not somehow shaded from the Sun. It's also important for people of all ages to wear sunglasses that have 100% UV protection and cover their skin during the hot summer days and avoid prolonged exposure to strong Sunlight (or any strong artificial light for that matter) at all times because in addition to eye damage the ultraviolet rays from the Sun have an accumulative effect on our skin which can cause cancer at some point in our life. It's important to keep in mind that even in cloudy days or under a shade you are still going to get hit with a certain amount of Sun rays due to the reflections from the surrounding areas specially if you are on higher elevations or in a large area that is covered with snow or water. Amazingly a short duration of exposure to Sunlight (like less than 15 minutes) can be beneficial to us since it helps our bodies create Vitamin D, but prolonged exposures can make our skin look aged and develop Sun spots. Luckily our atmosphere (mainly the Ozone layer) filters out most of the harmful Sun Rays and has a reflective effect that limits the amount of ultraviolet rays that can reach us on the surface. Although unfortunately the Ozone layer can be adversely affected by certain substances and gases that cause the depletion of this protective layer (do a search for CFCs, HCFCs, and HBFCs to learn more). That's why that it's so important to take good care of our Home Planet and its Environment because it's been taking good care of us and all the other living things that are on it all along (do a search for Global Warming and Pollution to learn even more) you can see more of my thoughts on this subject by visiting my website at: GoodOldEarth.com
Now as we are watching the Solar Eclipse and celebrating this very special occasion we also have to consider the case that if Earth and our Universe are living Entities that are sentient and have some kind of a consciousness (perhaps through us and all the other life forms) then whether these Entities are happy with the way that we are and are conducting ourselves as the Human Race.
Ojen Amini (Ojohn)
April 8, 2024