We visited the Perth Observatory one night.
And it was unforgettable.
When the night is dark
and the lights turned off
and you stand very quietly
(not even a cough)
You can see the stars
way up in the sky
and watch them sparkle
with your naked eye
Mars glows orange-
almost red
rising over tree tops
moving ahead
Shivering, we watch it
glowing so bright
Where is it going
on this cold dark
night?
The telescopes housed
in white domed rooms
can see even further
with their powerful zoom
The moon up close
is rugged in parts
mountain ranges
a jagged path
Dark maria seas
lay flat and smooth
(but there’s no water-
and that’s the truth!)
And in between
from here to there
are craters deep
where no repair
From impacts fierce
as asteroids hit
as burning comets
and meteorite bits
Find a lunar target
so quiet and still
no winds to blow
and erase the spill
Of lunar dust
and solid debris
that’s left all scattered
in the story we see.
For more information on the Perth Observatory and the night sky tours they offer, click here.
