Twilight Visitor Here we see another "visitor" from heaven -- this time a comet or, if you like, a shooting star. The sky is deep indigo and the landscape is almost "lunar" in appearance. Being void of trees and other plant life, there is a starkness in the mountains as they melt into one another in the valley below. To some, the starlight could even be seen as a light snowfall. Likewise, the grey and white arching mountain curves could be seen as having a thick blanket of snow on them. To me, there is a mood of calmness and stillness. And, as one looks out to the comet -- as with all celestial events, there is a deep silence which cannot be matched. The comet tail seems unusually long and perfectly straight as it appears motionless over time -- from night to night. Eventually, after a week or so, it too will vanish. We may not see it ever again in our lives. And, we may. Comets, like planets, are wanderers. They travel in huge ellipses to and away from our tiny solar system. I am fascinated by how far they must go and how isolated they must be at the far reaches of their parabolic entry and exit from our own home in the sky. It must be so cold and so dark out there. But here, in this scene, we see them at their most picturesque moments. We see the beautiful illumination of their tail and the brightness in their head. We see the great solar wind at work. And we see how it makes their tail long and brilliant. It may be cold in the air over the snow-covered land. But there is a warmth the visitor brings to this evening sky. It visits. It comes to us. It will go away soon. But it is here now for us to see. Back