Mars glowered brilliantly red in opposition in the Eastern sky. And on a tropically warm summer night, we floated in space, on the still glassy water of Lake Winnipesaukee. The stars glittered magnificently and their reflection on black, shining waters made it seem like we were floating in the very middle of the Milky Way. It was 2003, and Mars was in opposition, the closet it had come to Earth in 60,000 years. We were out in the middle of the lake on a pontoon boat on a family vacation. We appreciated the stillness and the beauty of it all, like we were suspended in time.
But time was moving of course. Mars and Earth kept spinning around the sun for another thirteen revolutions, passing each other until Mars was again in opposition. Life and the world had changed: Loved ones passed away, the world was different.
It was now. Memorial Day 2016. I was in Vermont, and Mars loomed big and impressive over the silhouette of the Green Mountains. I was grateful to survive long enough to witness another Martian Opposition. Maybe I’ll see a few more.
Time keeps on moving and I strongly suspect we are living inside a magnificent celestial time machine.
Copyright 2016 Magnus Incognito