A friend had once told me, a few years after she moved to the US, about how different she found the skies here. I remember thinking, "Whaaat? Isn't it the same sky?"
No, it isn't. Or at least, it doesn't seem like it.
The blue is bluer here. More striking. More intense. The clouds are different. More scattered. Feathery, dotted. (Once I look up their names, I'll come back and edit this post and sound more scholarly.)
The sunshine itself is more intense. It makes me want to shut my eyes (or wear sunglasses).
The night sky too, is different. I look up and search for Orion, the constellation that I know best. And I don't find it. There are other constellations, of course, and there are some good apps that help me learn to recognize them. But yet, the three stars of Orion's belt has always been there in the sky, and to not find them is disconcerting.
The moon is brighter. As if it is a lamp of a higher wattage. And I think it looks bigger too.
Also, in the part of the world I am in, I can see more of the sky. In Bangalore, my line of sight was usually interrupted a short distance away by a high-rise building. The vistas are more sweeping here, and I get to see a greater chunk of the sky.
And another thing. It is a strange feeling to see 5-6 planes in the sky at the same time.
No, it isn't. Or at least, it doesn't seem like it.
The blue is bluer here. More striking. More intense. The clouds are different. More scattered. Feathery, dotted. (Once I look up their names, I'll come back and edit this post and sound more scholarly.)
The sunshine itself is more intense. It makes me want to shut my eyes (or wear sunglasses).
The night sky too, is different. I look up and search for Orion, the constellation that I know best. And I don't find it. There are other constellations, of course, and there are some good apps that help me learn to recognize them. But yet, the three stars of Orion's belt has always been there in the sky, and to not find them is disconcerting.
The moon is brighter. As if it is a lamp of a higher wattage. And I think it looks bigger too.
Also, in the part of the world I am in, I can see more of the sky. In Bangalore, my line of sight was usually interrupted a short distance away by a high-rise building. The vistas are more sweeping here, and I get to see a greater chunk of the sky.
And another thing. It is a strange feeling to see 5-6 planes in the sky at the same time.
6 comments:
The sunsets and sunrises are my favorite. Back home they are shrouded in smog.
You are right. I hadn't noticed until my mom had pointed out to me:)
I felt the same - actually, I remember being surprised when Orion wasn't where I expected him to be when I first came here! :)
Got used to the transition from Orion to Big Dipper and Little Dipper! Funny how all of us are "fixated" on Orion
Ha ha ha about Orion! So many people feel the same way!
It's a treat to read your posts on the US Diaries, Shruthi! And what you say about the sky there versus here is hard to believe - amazing!
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