Pulling up the hood of his parka and bracing for the cold, Capt. Shahn Rashid opens the door and heads outside. The wind, near 20 miles per hour, is chilling, and he tugs on the parka’s zipper, willing it to go higher.
The irony of this action isn’t lost on the captain.
“This is ridiculous,” he mutters. “I’m in Hawaii, and I’m wearing a parka.”
He’s OK with it, though. It’s a small price to pay for the view.
Above him, as far as he can see, the sky is illuminated with stars. The Milky Way, which he’d only seen in photographs and movies, is directly overhead – so large and bright and real it’s as if he could simply reach out his hand and touch it.
more…