A small observatory beneath stars and green-gold aurora above a mountain lake.

Original artwork, not a still

Nicolaus Copernicus

To know the mighty works of God, to comprehend His wisdom and majesty and power; to appreciate, in degree, the wonderful workings of His laws, surely all this must be a pleasing and acceptable mode of worship to the Most High, to whom ignorance cannot be more grateful than knowledge.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

Studying the world is presented as a form of reverence. Understanding natural order gives the observer a way to appreciate divine wisdom, rather than moving away from it. The closing comparison rejects ignorance as a more grateful response than the active effort to know.

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