It’s already almost totally dark, there’re only a few gleams of light in the edges of the sky, but Eärendil already set sail through his realm in heights. Eärendil is the legendary half-elven sailor, who with his wife Elwing and the only Silmaril freed from Morgoth before the battle of wrath arrived by the coasts of Valinor, and asked for help to conquer evil. They were granted that and also their ship, the Vingilot was put on the sea of skies. Eärendil sails there, with the Silmaril on his forehead, that shone so bright that the people of Middle-Earth named it Gil-Estel, the Star of Hope – that we know as morning star (or evening star).

Now when first Vingilot was set to sail in the seas of heaven, it rose unlooked for, glittering and bright; and the people of Middle-earth beheld it from afar and wondered, and they took it for a sign, and called it Gil-Estel, the Star of High Hope.

It’s one of my favourite stars…