AstroCamp: Finding and Admiring the Light

We searched for stars and planets in the galaxy, but what if they were within each one of us? 

This year's AstroCamp was referred to by its facilitators as a “baby” because it is something they've been crafting for a long time, something they care for, and want to see grow into what they have imagined. And that “baby” truly did not disappoint; it was beyond what everyone expected. 

That night was almost as close to perfect as the skies were clear enough for us to observe the cosmos despite having weather forecasts that there would be a typhoon approaching. By the time early morning came, it was already at signal no. 1. One of the facilitators, Ms. Joy Angobung did say “pinagbigyan lang tayo” as the typhoon waited for us to do most of the activities before it came. It’s those little moments that make us appreciate the wonders of the universe and its unpredictability. 

“You guys  [the students] are awesome, you guys are amazing. You’re the reason why this AstroCamp happened and became successful”, Ms. Lotty Caño shared with us students during our 4 am talk sessions. It was at that moment that I was moved to hear how important it is for the facilitators to have us students truly enjoy this year’s AstroCamp. It was never about them but always about us students and how we would make this first-ever AstroCamp enjoyable. 

There was a simple lecture given by Prof. Pablo B. Cajigal Jr. entitled A Cosmic Perspective which at its core is to show and remind us how small we are against the backdrop of the vastness of the universe. It is meant to make you feel, in a way, insignificant. And from then on, I have come to realize that being insignificant is not such a bad thing after all. It just goes to show the universe stops for no one and that when we pass, the world continues to exist. And that in itself is beautiful. Just the simple thought that the things we have loved here on earth; which also is just another speck of dust in the universe, will stay on earth even after we have come to pass, still leaving a piece of you somewhere in this vast universe. 

As Hans Pangan, a student of St. John said of his thoughts about the lecture: "I think it was very informative and it really made me reflect on just how insignificantly small humans are in the grand scheme of things. It reminds us of our small place in the universe whilst inspiring a sense of wonder and curiosity about what's beyond the little blue marble." 

The night was about finding the light from within and from each one of us. It was the perfect time to spend time with friends as you guys admire the night sky and wonder how in this ginormous universe so old, it was chosen for you guys to be together; living and experiencing the same things at the same timeline. The night was also about finding the light in people you rarely cross paths with.  People were given the chance to form new relationships as we were able to be with people we weren’t so familiar with. Just like during bedtime, I was placed in a room with people I barely knew. Yet still, we gathered all of our sleeping mats in the middle and slept together side by side as we collectively tried our best not to laugh in fear that the teacher in charge would know we were wide awake when we were supposed to be sleeping. It was such a simple yet not-so-mundane experience where I realized how important it was that we get to expand our box and let other people in. 

AstroCamp was not just about looking through a telescope and viewing the night sky. It was about appreciating the things we have in our everyday lives that we probably have taken for granted. It was about admiring the existence of things, the people around you and yourself.