The vastness of the Universe is often central to my writing, but the photo below, captured during the August 12, 2026 Perseids meteor shower, offered a special gift for me. The photo was taken with a 14mm lens, so there is minus magnification. While I was focused on falling stars, I captured a swirling galactic feature in the zoom box in the top right-hand corner of the photograph: the Andromeda Galaxy, 2.5 million light-years away and containing an estimated one trillion stars. I am still blown away by it, recognizing that it is only the tip of what we know of the Universe. The recognition does not make me feel small because it does not change my place in creation. It does, however, make me feel awe to the point of a queasy repose, like staring into an endless realm of unlimited potential.
