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| Sunset at Maumee Bay, OH |
According to Carlson one needs scientific knowledge to appropriately
appreciate nature. Although I believe there are many different ways to experience
the natural world, I can’t deny that having some scientific information enhances
the experience when viewing any given landscape. I found this to be true after
taking a class in astronomy. I’ve always found sunsets to be particularly
beautiful. Without any scientific knowledge one can still be in awe of the spectacular
display of color. However, when I learned the reason for the red hues is due to
the fact that when the sun is low in the sky its light is passing through more
of the atmosphere, therefore, both the blue and red light becomes scattered. As
whereas during the daytime the light passes through less atmosphere, meaning
less a chance for particles to scatter, and because blue light scatters easily
that is what color the sky appears. After obtaining this knowledge, I began to
look differently at the common sunset. It is as if I now value the complexity
of the seemingly simple beauty. It could be somehow related to the science of
relationships. The more you know about someone the more you will appreciate or
depreciate them. The more you know about the natural world the more you will
appreciate or depreciate its beauty.
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| The Moon, Venus, and Jupiter |
Similarly, the starry sky always appeared interesting to me.
However, now that I have taken the class it takes on a whole new meaning. For
example, last night the Moon, Venus, and Jupiter were all aligned in a triangle
shape. If I had not known, I would have simply thought these two solar objects
were just bright stars near the moon. Although, because I have studied these fascinating
planets, the fact that the small, bright specks in the sky were such a short visible
distance away from the moon it made the experience all the more meaningful.
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