Looking Up

In Ghent in 2020, journalist Bieke Depoorter encountered Henk, a man who spent hours gazing at the moon through a telescope, sparking her curiosity about why he held such a deep connection to the cosmos. Her new book, *Blinked Myself Awake*, weaves memoir and imagery to explore astronomy's history, stargazing practices—both amateur and professional—and how photography reflects objectivity while capturing moments of human wonder. Depoorter is particularly drawn to people observing the sky, as it mirrors their inward reflection in an age dominated by screens. Her work highlights the intimate link between gazing at the stars and inward thought.