The Journey of Different Paths

Our lives take many twists and turns, ebbs and flows and when we’re in the moment it can be hard to see where our story will lead, but in retrospect it can all be made clear. Take a moment to review how amazing these stories are from the seeming miniscule to the grandeur of the universe.

Sometimes life is about being in the right place at the right time, such as the recent discovery of a rare supernova in the Northern hemisphere.

A professor, Steven Fossey, at the University of London Observatory had decided to teach his class that evening on how to use CCD cameras for observation because the weather was closing in. They pointed their camera in the part of the sky that was less cloudy and chose to look at M82 because it happens to be one of the brighter galaxies due to larger than average formation of stars. Right away they noticed something was different and went to work to confirm it was, in fact, a supernova.

One of the students, Tom Wright, remarked, “One minute we’re eating pizza, then five minutes later we’ve helped discover a supernova.”

Usually scientists looking for Supernovae have their specialized cameras take pictures of a few hundred galaxies then go back a few weeks later and take another series of photos, then analyze the data for any changes in brightness within the galaxies. Or, think of it in terms of staring at the same galaxy for hundreds of years hoping to see a supernova event. Either way, there’s a bit of luck in finding a supernova and the fact that this supernova is a special class that can be used to study dark matter makes it even more fantastic.

You can find M82 fairly easily, it is a cigar-shaped galaxy unlike our own spiral-shaped Milky Way galaxy, by looking at Ursa Major (the Big Dipper) and then veering your gaze towards Polaris (the North Star). If you have a smart phone or tablet ‘There’s an App for That’ which is free to download to help you find your way around the night sky.

Speaking of spirals, did you know the Chambered Nautilus grows in a perfect Golden Mean spiral? The cross-section of the shows the cycle of growth and can be measured to demonstrate the Golden Mean. Beginning with a small single square, (one unit per side), continue adding larger and larger squares in a counterclockwise direction using the following number sequence: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, etc. Draw diagonals through every square in a counterclockwise direction. The proportional relationship of the squares quickly begins to approach the Golden Proportion of 1:1.618… phi. This same pattern can be found in the spirals of cauliflower, the placement of leaves on most plants, the patterns of pine cones, the ratios of our own DNA, and the measurements of distant galaxies.

Maybe your own life has taken some twists and now looking back you can make the connections between all those interactions that lead from one thing to another. You can immortalize your special moments in time with this beautiful piece of journey jewelry from Ben David Jewelers. This is only available on-line and is 1 carat total weight in diamonds of SI1-SI2 clarity, set in white gold.

Keep in mind your path is unique and there is more to come, savor your time and remember where you’ve been as you set one foot in front of the other to get where you’re going. Are you back in your home-town after having left? Reconnected with that special someone you knew from years ago? Happen to meet someone that open the door to a new part of your life? Reflect on these special times and commemorate your special events with this 18 k yellow gold, 1.08 total carat weight SI1-SI2 diamond pendant.

Ben David Jewelers has other meaningful pieces, go here to find more beautiful jewelry as a way to embody your individual journey.

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