the astronomy students
drawing your own star charts
staying up late to watch a meteor shower
constellations painted on your ceiling
tracking the planets, noting their paths in a pocket-sized journal
an old wool scarf wrapped around your neck to keep out the cold
marveling over photographs of distant galaxies
retelling the stories of Orion and Cassiopeia
the glittering expanse of a cloudless night sky
moonlight shining through gauzy curtains
driving somewhere remote to see the milky way, far from the light pollution of the city
looking for your place in the cosmos
finding comfort in the vastness of the universe, in your own comparative insignificance
a model of the solar system resting on your desk
old sci-fi novels with battered covers
studying the contributions of Copernicus and Al-Battani and Kepler
watching the moon wax and wane
your favorite blanket wrapped around your shoulders
maps of the constellations, illustrated with figures from the associated myths
wondering about life on other worlds
memorizing the constellations, noting how their positions move as the seasons change
a thermos of hot tea
stargazing with friends, gazing up and watching for shooting stars
learning the physics of stars and planets
a fascination with the unknown