The Homeward Door

History

When the colony first got established on Deseret many of the settlers were disappointed at the lack of recognizable constellations in the sky. In the absence of anything familiar in the heavens the first priority for the new astronomers was establishing where in the night sky Earth was and if it's star Sol was visible. To the joy of many not only was Sol visible in the night sky but it was framed by an arch of other bright stars. The Desereti colonial government held a competition to come up with Deseret's first constellation. The winning entry was the Homeward Door with the arch of stars forming the door frame and Sol in the position of the door handle.

Constellation Meaning

The Homeward Door was submitted by Corinne Boutroux, a pediatrician. Her entry was selected out of a total of 3,345 others in large part due to her short explanation she submitted with her work.

I think all of us are ecstatic to finally be here, but it can be hard thinking about all the friends and family we left behind. I grew up alone with my mother in Honfleur and I can still see it so vividly. I can feel the ocean breeze as I run home from school, I can smell the bread I pick up from the bakery for our dinner, and I can remember my mother silhouetted by the small window in our kitchen when I walked in the front door.
I know my mother has been dead a long time. She was becoming an old woman when I left France, and she died at some point early on during our journey here. And even though my front door looks so different now, every time I come home from work I expect to see her there in the kitchen ready to hear about my day. When I first saw Sol and its companions I immediately saw a door, and I imagined if I could somehow open it I would see my mother there waiting for me. If my entry is chosen I hope that it will serve as a reminder of all those we left behind, lost to time and distance, but not forgotten or loved any less.

The Homeward Door as seen in the sky.