Astronomers always work in the past; because light takes time to move from one place to another, they see things as they were, not as they are. – Neale E. Howard, The Telescope Handbook and Star Atlas, 1967
To relive the relationship between owner and slave we can consider how we treat our cars and dogs — a dog exercising a somewhat similar leverage on our mercies and an automobile being comparable in value to a slave in those days. – Edward Hoagland