This is Jupiter. The biggest planet of our solar system. I remember this image of Jupiter since my childhood. I remember the big red dot of Jupiter. My new-found love of astronomy has led me to the knowledge that the red dot showing on Jupiter is a storm that has been brewing since 300 years now. Now, I don't know how 300 years feel like. I don't even know how a 100 or even 50 years feel like. I will shortly experience 30 years though.
However, this gives me some perspective about time and its scale. For me, my childhood feels like millions of years ago and my youth slipping from my fingers - this is how I perceive time. This does not change the fact about Jupiter and its eternal storm. I am nothing but a split second when marked on Jupiter's scale of time, although, I still have time - may be another split second on Jupiter's scale. While Jupiter laughs at my puny existence - there are much bigger beasts in the visible universe which belittle its own scale of time and size. There are bigger and much humongous events taking place in this Universe while we cry, laugh, fight and enjoy our split seconds - and worse - don't live them completely.
One of the nearest galaxy to our Milky way is Andromeda. It is approximately 2.5 million light years away from our galaxy. A light year being the distance traveled by light in a year. Light whose speed is 186, 000 miles per second. The farthest I have been away from my home is Canada - where I live right now, which is a mere distance of 6924 miles. I feel light years away from home-on my scale of distance. People get home sick very easily and very quickly. What is the definition of home though? Is it my country? My province? My city? My colony or my actual home of brick and mortar? Or is it this planet? Or the solar system? Or our galaxy? In my remaining life - or the split second that I am living - even if by some miracle I happen to become an astronaut - I am pretty sure I won't be able to go to Mars. My scale of time won't allow it because it lacks in size when compared to the scale of time of human advancements in astronomy and inter planetary travel. I will die for sure before we are able to send a human to another planet. At the least I will be very old - old enough to fancy that kind of travel. However, it will be a shame if by the end of my existence, I am not able to travel the planet I live in.
Bird's view: Anything that we do and achieve - or we are not able to do or achieve is not worth losing the perspective. The perspective that gives us a better understanding of reality and control over action. It lets us have the rendezvous with truth.
Truth - the ultimate god.
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