The autumnal equinox and a cosmic perspective

Did you know it is possible to look towards the center of our galaxy, as well as the complete opposite direction, out towards the outer arms of the Milky Way, looking towards the rest of the cosmos? It's true. And you don't need a telescope to do it - just a bit of knowledge of where each point is located in the sky, so you can look that way. 

Also, we can see where the plane of our own solar system is in the sky by looking for where the planets are located, as they generally trace a similar path across the night sky, called the ecliptic. See where this line - as well as the galactic plane - are, and are going, in the season of autumn. It's pretty amazing to think about how we fit into that cosmic perspective.