I went for a walk the other night, hoping to catch the Southern Lights in the tailing edge of the dark. There was a hint, the barest spot of light against the black - enough for the Aurora to say hello. The brightness of the stars and the Milky Way though? Potent and mystifying. I sat out as long as I could in the winds and the frigid air, watching the sky through the small space left in the neck gators (two), hats (two), and hood protecting my face.

Turning frequently, I tried to scan the horizons for new stars, for meteors, for the Aurora. I took in what I could and at the end, my eyes fully adjusted, caught a hint of light on the far edge of my view - saw the the very beginnings of the rising sun.