by Robert Naeye, Editor in Chief, Sky & Telescope
When I first heard about the concept for 100 Hours of Astronomy, my immediate reaction was one of the few combinations of positives in the English language that combine to make a negative: “Yeah, right.” The idea of a global star party whirling around the world over the course of several days seemed a bit outlandish.
But after a few moments of additional reflection, I was intrigued. With modern communications and the Internet to spread the word like wildfire, I thought, “If there are people out there who are willing to commit to organizing this global star party, I bet we can pull this thing off.”
From my personal experience in astronomy clubs in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California, and elsewhere, I know that there are huge numbers of amateurs around the world who love to participate in public stargazing events. One of the big joys of my life has been doing sidewalk astronomy events in places such as the San Francisco Bay area. I love showing people the Moon, Saturn, and other objects, and then hearing the “oohs” and “ahhs” that inevitably follow. It’s my way of doing public service.
Thanks to the Herculean efforts of people like 100 Hours co-chair Mike Simmons, the actual event exceeded the most optimistic expectations. Reports from around the world indicate that more than a million people looked through a telescope for the first time. And these people were spread over more than 100 nations. This was truly a global event!
In a world often divided by language, ethnicity, customs, and culture, I often feel depressed about the forces that generate conflict. But as Mike points out, the night sky is something all the peoples of every nation share in common (other than the Northern/Southern Hemisphere divergence). Powerful political and media forces conspire to make Americans like me think of people in other nations as potential enemies. Yet from my travels in Iran and Libya, I know that people in general get along just fine when they get together, even if there are major language and cultural barriers. It’s governments that divide us.
When amateurs share their passion for astronomy with newbies, they are helping in at least two ways. First, by nurturing a love of the night sky in other people, they are reinforcing one of the things shared by all humans, which helps bring us together. Second, by helping people develop an accurate understanding of our place in the universe, they raise awareness about the preciousness of our home planet and the need to take care of it for future generations. If enough people embrace this mindset, perhaps we can take a U-turn on our current road to disaster.
By itself, the 100 Hours of Astronomy event is not going to save the world. But it shows that people from around the world can come together to do something positive, and share in a large-scale collective experience. It represents one small step in raising humanity’s collective consciousness, which will help us start focusing on our similarities and common interests. In a world with overpopulation, environmental decay, mass extinctions on land and at sea, economic crises, and the proliferation of terrible weapons, the spectacular success of 100 Hours gives me a glimmer of hope for a better future. More than just about any other area of human endeavor, astronomy has the potential to bring people together in a spirit of understanding, respect, and friendship. Congratulations to Mike and all the wonderful people around the world who made 100 Hours of Astronomy a historic and resounding success!
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