Northern Lights over the Greater World

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Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How it can Transform Your Life

by Dacher Keltner

In his book Awe…, psychology professor Dacher Keltner investigates the mysterious emotion that may hold the key to a more fulfilling life.

Keltner identifies three elements of awe:

• vastness - may be physical or conceptual, a great landscape or things that challenge and elude our conceptual grasp.

• mystery - things that challenge our understanding of our experience make us recognize that our current knowledge is insufficient to make sense of what we have encountered so we seek to understand the world in new ways. This makes us curious and opens us up to wonder and new ideas.

• feeling part of systems larger than the self. Unlike other emotions believed to have evolved from our need for self-preservation, awe orients us toward others. It makes us feel connected to the world around us and allows us to let go of our own desires and egos.

Through his research that involved listening to thousands of people across different cultures tell their stories about awe-inspiring moments, Keltner has identified eight main sources of awe that he calls the wonders of life:

• Moral Beauty (witnessing other people’s acts of courage, love, and strength)

• Collective Effervescence (shared experiences and rituals, like weddings and concerts)

• Nature

• Music

• Visual Design

• Spirituality and Religion

• Life and Death

• Epiphany

Read the book and/or enjoy this OnBeing interview with Krista Tippet.

SOUNDTRACK FOR STARGAZING

Says | Nils Frahm at the BBC Proms

Says is an epic mini space odyssey for the ears. Those who were so fortunate to be at this event describe it in ways that evoke the sense of a profound and numinous experience they will never forget.

For your extended sky gazing soundtrack by Nils Frahm, enjoy this concert built around tracks from his album Day where he unleashes the full genius of his neoclassical universe for an ecstatic audience at the Philharmonie de Paris. Listen here.

GALCTIC THEATER

Astrotourism - Skygazing in New Mexico

From ancient ruins to geological wonders, New Mexico provides the perfect backdrop to look up and admire the wonders of the universe. While stargazing in New Mexico, you’ll get a sense of the vast galactic clock that has been ticking since before time – and the marks that have been left by planetary forces and humans too…

SPACETACULAR EVENTS

See Two Comets Share October Night Sky With Fireball Swarm

October 2025 has the potential to be a dazzling month for skywatchers. Not only does it see the onset of fast-moving "shooting stars" from the Orionid meteor shower, but it's also set to see "fireballs" during a special swarm year for the Taurid meteor shower. However, the celestial icing on the cake could be a bright comet — Lemmon (C/2025 A6) — a once-in-a-lifetime green comet that could even reach naked eye visibility.

(ARMCHAIR) SPACE EXPLORATION

Space Tourism with Valerie - October Skies

Valerie provides stargazing, aurora, eclipse and rocket launch guides as well as how to best view and enjoy from a comfortable seat here on planet earth.

Her mission: To help every traveler find wonder among the stars.

Valerie’s 15 Must-See Astronomy Events in the October Night Sky including auroras, meteor showers and deep space objects which will be especially visible as the moon continues to wane.

EPIPHANY

Edgar Mitchell | Founding of IONS

“I realized that the story of ourselves as told by science — our cosmology, our religion — was incomplete and likely flawed. I recognized that the Newtonian idea of separate, independent, discrete things in the universe wasn’t a fully accurate description. What was needed was a new story of who we are and what we are capable of becoming.” - Dr. Edgar Mitchell

On February 5, 1971 Captain Edgar Mitchell, along with fellow Apollo 14 astronauts Alan Shepard and Stuart Roosa, landed on the surface of the moon.

As his spaceship traveled back from the moon amidst the vast darkness of the cosmos, Dr. Mitchell’s eyes became fixed on the blue sphere we call home. As he neared Earth, he was enveloped by a profound sense of universal connectedness.

Dr. Mitchell’s transformative experience led him to establish the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) in 1973. He understood that by applying the scientific rigor used in his explorations of outer space, we could better understand the mysteries of inner space — the space in which he felt an undeniable sense of interconnection and oneness.

IONS - The mission of the Institute of Noetic Sciences is to reveal the interconnected nature of reality through scientific exploration and personal discovery.

SOBERING REMINDER

Pale Blue Dot

“Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity -- in all this vastness -- there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves. It is up to us.” - Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot

Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot is a humbling reminder of our smallness in relation to the greatness of the cosmos. It is an invitation to put our pettiness aside to comprehend that we are a part of something far greater and, though small, it is up to us to change our trajectory as a humanity within a far greater world beyond our pale blue planet.

Bonus Apple Pie Recipe: Carl Sagan - 'A Glorious Dawn' ft Stephen Hawking (Symphony of Science) “If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you much first invent the Universe.” - Carl Sagan

HEALTH & WELLNESS

False Light: The problem of ALAN

“To light a candle is to cast a shadow.” So wrote Ursula K. Le Guin in her 1968 young-adult fantasy, A Wizard of Earthsea.

Artificial Light At Night (ALAN) is a form of pollution from human-made light that disrupts natural darkness. ALAN is an increasingly pervasive issue that negatively affects all aspects of life from plant and animal biorhythms to the survival of migratory species as well as our primal connection with the vast wonder of our night sky.

Advocacy:

Dark Sky is a community of 2,000+ volunteer Advocates around the world protect the night sky using education, advocacy, retrofits, community science, and more. Find their articles on the Effects of Light pollution here.

AWE-WARENESS

Lost in Light

Lost in Light, a short film on how light pollution affects the view of the night skies. Shot mostly in California, the film shows how the view gets progressively better as you move away from the lights.

Here’s why I think we should care more. The night skies remind us of our place in the Universe. Imagine if we lived under skies full of stars. That reminder we are a tiny part of this cosmos, the awe and a special connection with this remarkable world would make us much better beings - more thoughtful, inquisitive, empathetic, kind and caring.

Imagine kids growing up passionate about astronomy looking for answers and how advanced humankind would be, how connected and caring we’d feel with one another, how noble and adventurous we’d be. How compassionate with fellow species on Earth and how one with Nature we’d feel. Imagine a world where happiness of the soul is more beautiful. Ah, I feel so close to inner peace. I can only wonder how my and millions of other lives would have changed. But in reality, most of us live under heavily light polluted skies and some have never even seen the Milky Way. We take the skies for granted and are rather lost in our busy lives without much care for the view of the stars. How does light pollution affect the night skies and quite possibly our lives?

LIFE ON MARS

Life in the Base film

In the frozen isolation of Antarctica, the Concordia station moves to the rhythm of gestures, silence, and machines. This poetic documentary gives voice to objects, landscapes, and humans alike, revealing through their words the quiet beauty of life in one of the world’s most extreme environments.

Concordia Station's primary purpose is to conduct scientific research in a unique, extreme environment, serving as a base for studying climate, astronomy, and geophysics, and as a "Mars analog" to test human adaptation and technology for future space missions

INDIGENOUS SKY LORE

Spider Woman on Mars

NASA engineer Aaron Yazzie and Navajo master weaver TahNibaa Naataanii reflect on the role of weaving in the birth of the universe at the place where it all began: Spider Rock, a holy monument at the heart of sacred Canyon de Chelly.

Also watch: “May the Fourth be with you” Navajo Star Wars helps to preserve and share the Navajo language with the youth and brings an epic space drama filled with themes and spiritual insights reminiscent of traditional wisdom to the elders.

FLORA & FAUNA

Tarantula!

Close encounter of the arachnid kind. Sky Weaver paid us a visit this morning to request that I include her as my Fauna highlight.

We are well into Tarantula season! Every autumn, mature male tarantulas start out on their quest to find a mate. What we see most commonly around here is the Grand Canyon black tarantula (Aphonopelma marxi). Males may live 3-5 years though females can live an impressive 25-40 years as they remain burrowed underground. While the females stay at their burrows, the males follow hormone scents to try to find them which places them in danger of cars and predators.

Please drive with special care and consiuderation for our arachnid friends this time of year!

COSMIC HUMOR

Our Mind-Blowing Universe

AI summary: Explore the universe through a human hand, discovering undiscovered worlds and Tillman's Crest. Journey at the speed of light, imagining stars packed into a bag, or a hot dog bun. This Tim and Eric sketch uses surreal visuals to ponder the cosmos.

Mind-blowing! 🤯