I got to see Jupiter!!!
Mood:  incredulous
Now Playing: The hum of the Thesse' le'llon

If anything could ever wipe out any homesickness I might be feeling, it would be seeing a planet up close. Well, about as close as I'm probably ever going to get, anyway.

Us humans (and there were more there than just the crew I do meals with, by far, axing the notion that we were the only ones on board) were invited to one of the big observation decks so that the Drew le' tor could treat us to a view of Jupiter. After missing Mars, I hinted, nay, flat-out told Jennifer that I wanted to see the next planet we got close to. I guess they had figured we weren't interested or something? Whatever. I've been dying to see some of the "space" part of this whole space venture.

And see we did. As the lights dimmed and the stars became visible, I gasped slightly as I got my first closeup of my ruling planet. (I'm a Sagittarius, remember, so it's all about the Jupiter, baybee.) I think they'd been waiting until we could get a view of the infamous red spot, that gaseous thunderstorm that's always present, always like an eye staring out from the planet body. And when I saw it, I nearly started crying. I can't even begin to describe the feeling I got upon seeing what I had only seen in pictures. We were staring down, and the red eye stared back at us, and there was a terrible, wonderful lurch in my heart. I realized how far from home we were, how far we might yet go, and suddenly I couldn't wait to get out of the solar system, beyond, seeing things I can't even imagine right now. It's a sci-fi nerd's dream come true. I might have even had a mini-orgasm. I know I felt something shoot up my spine at viewing the Father of the solar system, much like a spontaneous Kundalini rising.

And then, in the dark while we gazed upon the eye of Jupiter, somebody grabbed my hand. I have no idea who it was; it was too dark to see anything but the stars outside, the giant planet below us. And I didn't even try to find out who it was. The grasp seemed familiar, and yet not. Absorbed as I was in trying to control myself and not break down sobbing, all I could do was squeeze in return the hand that squeezed mine.

The aliens are planning to tootle around the area while they do more research on some of Jupiter's moons, Io and Callisto and the rest. So there might be another viewing. Oh, I hope so!