Aug. 30. The moon hung there, barely half-lit, next to Antares. Five degrees apart—the width of three fingers at arm's length. I know these measurements by heart. I stood outside the lab at sunset, grant rejection email still glowing on my phone. Third one this year. The red supergiant blazed like it always has, indifferent to my failures. My advisor called it a "minor setback" yesterday. But I've been counting setbacks instead of hours for months now. The moon will shift eastward, continue its predictable orbit, reach full phase on Sept. 7. Everything up there follows rules. Makes sense. Down here, nothing does. My CV has gaps. My confidence has craters. I used to find comfort in celestial mechanics. Now I just wonder why I still look up when everything feels so broken. But I'm still here. Still watching. Still don't know why. #Science #AcademicBurnout #GradSchoolLife