As we move into the new year on the Gregorian calendar, it’s interesting to note a couple of achievements in space exploration that recently took place.

(Incidentally, the Lunar New Year is the beginning of a year whose months are coordinated by the cycles of the moon. Chinese New Year 2019 begins on February 5—it’s the year of the Pig.)

first photo of Ultima Thule

In a first, just at the close of the old year, NASA—our civilian space agency that sometimes conducts military missions—confirmed that their New Horizons spacecraft explored Kuiper Belt object Ultima Thule, marking the first encounter with a celestial body this distance from the earth, and possibly the oldest space object ever explored.

Another first, just at the beginning of the new year, the China National Space Administration (CNSA)—a military agency that sometimes conducts civilian missions—landed the first space vehicle on the dark, or lunar farside, of the moon. It’s quite an achievement that will hopefully spur additional efforts. This side of the moon is blocked from direct communication with the earth, requiring a relay satellite for the lander to send data and receive commands. This unique position also blocks Electromagnetic interference (EMI), also called radio-frequency interference (RFI), offering a potentially pristine opportunity for deep space exploration if devices can be positioned to take advantage of this position while still being able to effectively communication with earth.

China’s Chang’e 4 probe

From Space.com:

It takes the moon about the same amount of time to spin once on its axis as it does for the natural satellite to orbit the Earth: 27.3 days. Because of this “tidal locking,” we only ever see one face of the moon, which we call the near side.

The PBS NewsHour Science Correspondent, Miles O’Brien, offered interesting insight on this achievement.

While we are marking the transition of a year:

The Ten Best Science Books of 2018 according to Smithsonian magazine: These titles explore the wide-ranging implications of new discoveries and experiments, while grounding them in historical context.

Nine science stories to watch in 2019 according to the Los Angeles Times.

Stories likely to make headlines in 2019 according to Science.

A couple of recent studies about mindfulness meditation suggest “even a very small ‘dose’ can have beneficial effects in individuals with very little or no practice.” Meaning that even people who don’t meditate regularly can benefit from even one short session of mindfulness meditation.

The suggestion is not that short, irregular meditation is preferable but that any meditation can be a benefit. There are also previous studies that point to the benefits of regular meditation.

I’m not regular enough about when I do it, but I try to be consistent about inserting meditative moments throughout my day. Some of the best practices start with sincere intention that build on even occasional meditation sessions.

Set an intention to make an opportunity to meditate soon! An audio of a guided meditation session might be a real asset to you. The version that works best can be a personal preference, so try a few out—you can find them through a web search, or in your online audio file source (like iTunes) including podcast sources, or even in app stores.

Read the full study.

None of these flowers were growing where they were “supposed” to be growing. They were all “volunteers,” having popped up as “weeds”…and yet…

In August of 1998, I was honored to have writtern this article, published in the Bay Area Reporter.  Today, I was honored that they published my reflections on this 20th anniversary.

A park bench near my home…wise words for today’s times…the invitation has been extended.

This quote from John Muir summarizes my perspective for the coming year, not only because it urges us to get into nature more, but also because it suggests that dirt can offer a rewarding and engaging experience.  Too often, too much, we expect neat, clean and orderly experiences.  Impossible to achieve all of the time, misleading much of the time, seeking to be always orderly and predictable can be far too limiting. This New Year’s Eve, I will be looking to release blocks that accumulated during 2017 and establish positive intentions for the coming year. I find great personal satisfaction in tying these to simple rituals involving the elements of fire, water, earth and air. Purge and cleanse with fire and water; establish intentions with earth—tie them all together through the cohesion of all four.  Make the transition from one year to the next significant and important in a way that is meaningful. Start the year with intentions that will focus action in a compelling and powerful way. Happy New Year!