Light is very dull to watch. Unhindered, it is invisible. In the near vacuum of space it travels on its merry way for thousands of years, unseen. The night sky is dark. Light is also very weird. It is the fastest thing known, but stops instantly when it hits something without causing visible damage. Which is mind bending when you think about it. Try that in a car. Massless and without inertia, Light is unique.
Try this: Shine a torch outdoors at night. You may see atmosphere, dust, even insects in the beam. And whatever you are shining the torch on. but Nothing in between. Yes, Nothing with a capital N. Kinda mind bending when you think about that too. Yes, light is very dull to watch. But when it hits something? Ah. Then things change.
This image was taken 40km East of Hamilton, Ontario, in the dead of night. It shows human-generated light streaming upwards passing through low-lying clouds on a rainy overcast evening.
The moon was new, and behind me. Sunrise was two hours away and would also happen behind me. The only light sources were an occasional street light, the nearby QEW highway which at this time of day had no traffic, a few residential areas also largely in darkness, and the industrial complex of oil refineries and steel mills in Hamilton. 40km away.
I find it surprisingly beautiful.
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