Hope
In the winter and spring sky there is a star, brighter than Sirius and only second to the Moon. Every evening I see it shining magnificently. It gives me joy and hope, and it has become a sort of symbol for me. It's the International Space Station. I look up at it and wonder, I think 'We did that!' and I think there may be hope for humanity amidst all the chaos and fear on this lonely forlorn planet.

From Sydney, it's in the North-west, visible till about midnight. It doesn't seem to resolve to a point like other stars, and I'm sure that even a low powered scope or high powered binoculars would show some details of the thing. It's continuously manned now, and it's our first step into the Universe. One day, I believe, mankind will break the bounds of Earth and spread to other worlds, and the Milky Way - that shining band of stars across the night sky - will be our home.

In times like these - the scariest times I've lived through yet - I cling to the hope the bright new star gives me.