So long, Sky Watch; you will be missed

Regarding Blaine P. Friedlander Jr.’s Feb. 26 Sky Watch column, “Jupiter and Venus dance, and spring arrives with a farewell”:

“Over the next few nights, notice how those planets seem to get closer, like long-lost lovers racing toward each other in an airport terminal, just in slow motion.” This quote, from the final edition of the Sky Watch column, is but one of many examples over the years, going back to 1986, of Blaine P. Friedlander Jr.’s poetic depictions of celestial events.

The universe is a mostly dark, empty place, so I and others will miss Friedlander’s warm, colorful prose that brought distant objects closer to us, and we will also miss his listings of astronomyrelated meetings.

Friedlander, the local astronomical community salutes you for your long service and repeated reminders to enjoy the heavens.