First Love

Perhaps it was sometime in the early 1960s when the centerfold of a magazine grabbed my eyes and sparked my imagination.

Yes, there were plenty of heavenly bodies, and I wasn't quite 10, so I wasn't able to comprehend the stunning beauty I was seeing.

Yet it was that monthly map of the night sky, right smack in the middle of Sky & Telescope magazine, that showed the stars, constellations, and the positions of the planets and Moon, that helped to ignite an undying passion.

The stunning view of the crescent Moon, brilliant Venus and the star Regulus above a tower as seen from Glenshaw, Pa., Sept. 19, 2025. Photo by Phil Bridenbach.

Certainly, that love still abounds today in my heart and mind.

As the years and decades passed, I observed so many astronomical visions -- the rings of Saturn, two total eclipses of the Sun, comets, galaxies and nebulae, conjunctions and more -- but what I saw in the light of the growing dawn this morning, Sept. 19, 2025, was astounding.

Breathtaking. Hours later, I'm still in awe.

A crescent Moon, the brilliant planet Venus, and the star Regulus all appeared to gather above the eastern horizon to form a gorgeous view! They seemed to be packed so tightly that an index finger held at arm's length obscured the celestial trio.

A guide to the morning's stunning scene.

The five-percent illuminated Moon seemed to be smiling right back at me.

How thrilled I am to have seen this grouping, but I'm even giddy to know that so many of you saw them, too! Truly, there are few things I enjoy more than knowing that people are looking at and enjoying the night sky.

Chart by Sky & Telescope, my trusted source for astronomy.

Despite the overwhelming beauty in the growing dawn, my geek-and-nerd mind could not help but wander . . . and wonder.

So just what was I seeing? Here's what crossed my mind:

• Did you know that the planet Venus, often called Earth's twin but really not so much, is one of the brightest celestial objects in our sky? Indeed, the Sun, the Moon and Venus normally are the top three in terms of brilliance among the natural objects we can see.

• It takes light from the Moon a little more than one second to reach Earth. Almost but not quite in an instant.Venus, however, is a little more than 12 light-minutes from Earth. But Regulus? Now that's far away! The brightest star in Leo is some 79 light-years distant! And one light-year is about 5.88 trillion miles! My depth perception kicked into high gear as I tried to make sense of these stunning distances.

• Regulus is more than meets the eye. While it appears as one bright star     it actually is four stars of varying sizes organized into two pairs.

• Regulus also lies very close to the plane of the ecliptic  – an area you might call the zodiac in which the Sun, Moon and planets appear to reside – so that from time to time, solar system objects can lie close to, or even in front of, that far-off star.

• The Moon and Venus shine by reflecting light from the Sun. Regulus, a star, shines by its own light.

At last, I think my mind has returned to Earth. Rest assured, however, it won't be long until I'm back to exploring the final frontier! Keep looking up!