Los Angeles – Day 2 – Griffith Observatory

What a great day!  I attended two excellent shows in the planetarium.  Although based on different themes, both shows raised the question of whether we are alone in the universe.  A good question!  I learned that there are billions of stars in the universe, and many of them have planets in the same comfort zone as Earth from their sun, that could theoretically support intelligent life.   It seems incredible to think that out of all these millions of planets, we are the only one that developed intelligent life.  

As the sun set and I gazed up at the stars as they slowly appeared, I pondered that question.   My conclusion is that at the same time I was gazing at the stars, beings from other planets were looking at the twinkling light from our sun and wondering the same thing, are we alone?  Somewhere down the line, once we invent warp drive and overcome the travel thing, our species will meet.   What a day that will be!

After dark, telescopes were set up on the lawn, and guests could view the stars from the main telescope, or the portable ones on the lawn.  Technology has advanced so far that the view from small telescopes is just as good as from the huge 90-year-old telescope.  I didn’t care what I was looking through as long as I could see the stars, so I avoided the long line at the large telescope and chose the portable one where only three people were in line, and was rewarded with a spectacular view of Venus engulfed in flames (optical illusion caused by patterns in the night sky).

The view of Los Angeles was incredible, from the Hollywood sign to the city's panorama.  As the sun set and the lights of the city came to life, I experienced the view that has appeared in countless movies, of couples parked enjoying the lights of the city, as well as each other’s company.  

In a few hours, the sun will rise once again, beginning a new day, full of hope, and dreams with the promise of a new day.  And countless others, lovers and tourists alike, will take in the same view as I did, as they face the joys and sorrows of life on planet Earth.