It reminded me that the Earth had been around for 4.5 billion years and had endured things much more dramatic than a virus, which instantly brought my worries into perspective. In that moment the world no longer seemed like an unfamiliar place. Gazing at the stars has meditative benefits shutterstock/VARUNA We skimmed past Betelguese – a dying red supergiant star 700 times the size of Earth – and through the constellations of Gemini, Auriga and Perseus. Using the app, we were thrilled to discover that bright white star hovering over the horizon was actually Venus. Calling my daughters, aged 10 and 12, we raced upstairs, where we had an unobstructed view across the night sky. I remembered an app I’d downloaded a couple of months earlier, which identifies all the stars, constellations, satellites and planets. As I stood under that twinkling ceiling, gazing at the stars, I was overwhelmed with wonder. The sky was clear and pitch black, and the stars were shining so brightly I literally gasped. Then, one evening I went outside and stopped dead in my tracks. A terrifying virus was tearing across the planet and the entire world had ground to a halt I was consumed with worry about my family and paying the bills, and whether life would ever be the same again. I’m a glass-half-full girl by nature, but even I was struggling earlier in the year. She explains the power of gazing at the stars and the proven benefits of this awe-evoking (and free!) activity.

When Jacqui Paterson started stargazing with her kids during the COVID pandemic, it changed their lives for the better.

Owning It by Sienna Saint-Cyr