35 Years On: Pale Blue Dot and Our Place in the Universe
At 4:48 GMT on February 14, 1990, Voyager 1 snapped a series of photos, the data of which made it back to the space center a couple months later to show what had been captured. There was a frame that stood out in particular of the Earth looking like a tiny speck of dust suspended in a sunbeam — a photo that would go on to be known as the Pale Blue Dot.
The Everyday Mindfulness of Mary Oliver
Though my life has been nomadic in recent years, I have rarely been without a physical copy of Mary Oliver’s Devotions since its release in 2017. I’m currently on my fourth copy, having left the prior three books in various cities for someone else to stumble upon and — hopefully — enjoy. One poem that I’ve been intentionally turning to in recent weeks is “Mornings at Blackwater,” which was originally published in her 2009 book of poetry Red Bird. An ode to her beloved Provincetown pond, this 18-line poem reads like a reassuring incantation: stay steadfast in this present moment and the world you envision can be yours.