----- Original Message -----

From: Jawad Shuaib

To: paksef@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Friday, August 15, 2003 5:38 PM

Subject: [PakSEF] Blackout night

Asa group!

For most it was a day of misery, but for others (like me) it was a day we have been waiting for our entire life. Yes, I am talking about the total blackout that occurred in Ontario (Canada) & Eastern New York.

As the day fell, the sky lit up with stars. Constellations that could have never been seen with the unaided eye were now shinning bright up in the space. Everything seemed perfect. The wind was steady, and the sky was cloudless. Thousands of stars appeared winking during the few hours of the total blackout. It almost seemed that nothing would come in the way…but then came the sight of a breathtaking orange colored object in the sky. With moon came the partial alignment of the brightest object in the sky; Mars. Mars appeared as a shining star and stood out bright as the moonlight covered the winking of other celestial objects.

For a moment, I felt that it couldn’t have gotten better than this. But just as I was thinking about this; I spotted two fast moving satellites way up in the atmosphere. And then two meteorites passed me by in a lightening speed just over my nose!!!

The night might have been a disaster for most…but it was certainly a blessing for me.

                                                        Jawad S