If you are here at this blog, congratulations. You are in a special group, someone with enough interest in astronomy to be learning more about the “100 Hours of Astronomy” initiative. If you are new to astronomy, then I’d like to share my personal perspective on astronomy and hopefully infuse some excitement into your learning about the sky. If you are an amateur or professional astronomer, then be forewarned, I am going to issue a call to action!
I have been looking up to the heavens since I was a young boy. This started at a specific moment in time when I had my first look through a telescope while the Moon was crossing over Venus one evening. Two older boys who lived in my neighborhood had a small telescope on the sidewalk and us kids stopped playing and instead took in the view. The first time you see the Moon in a telescope is a magical moment. The clarity of the craters, the shadows along the terminator, the subtle glow of the dark side lit by Earthshine all combine to take your breath away. It still does for me to this day, and I always enjoy the beauty of a young crescent Moon shimmering in the twilight or the majesty of the full Moon bringing its eerie glow to the landscape.
To the astronomer the Moon can sometimes be a nuisance, but to all the astronomers I say this: don’t lose sight of the fact that for all of the non-astronomers the Moon is the one thing in the heavens that they best know, and when they finally see it up close, it is a significant moment. So during “100 Hours of Astronomy” I am glad we have a waxing Moon in the sky – and you can be sure I will point my telescope there half the time (the other half on Saturn of course).
So what is my call to action? I am urging anyone who calls themselves an astronomer to become an Astronomy Evangelist. If you have a telescope, you have the power to see the richness of the heavens up close with a wealth of detail. Even a simple low-cost telescope brings so much into view. Until Galileo, the world only knew of stars down to 6th magnitude, but with your average home telescope you can see faint objects orders of magnitude dimmer than you can see with the naked eye. And if you can recapture the feeling you had the first time you saw something remarkable through a telescope, then let that motivate you to share the night sky with someone else.
During “100 Hours of Astronomy” and in fact throughout the entire “International Year of Astronomy,” I am telling and retelling the story of the sky. A few years ago I began to write a newsletter column for my kids’ school newsletter to point out some of the highlights you can find in the sky. This turned into a blog, The Urban Astronomer, where I catalog not just my articles but links and resources for those who want to get started with astronomy or just find out what’s up in the sky. I offered to do a guest program on the local rock radio station in San Francisco KFOG and they welcomed me as a guest on the Morning Show. They are always looking to highlight interesting things for their listeners, affectionately known as Fogheads, and we’ve developed a very fun and engaging program with discussion of goings-on in the sky and Q&A with listeners. I’m honored to be a part of such a great group of radio professionals and am hopeful that my being on the radio motivates at least a few more people each time to get out to see the sky. Lately I have been talking and blogging about GLOBE at Night and the 100HA initiative. I’ll be out with the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers at Lands End in San Francisco during the “100 Hours” and I hope to meet many people there.
Why do I do this? Why do I think it is relevant for amateurs and professionals to evangelize astronomy? Like a good historian or a good storyteller, an astronomer who shares what he does creates a link to our past. In a very real and genuine way, an astronomer connects himself to our human ancestors and every time he shares that with another, he builds a connection from that person to our past. In this era of too much light pollution and overexposure to media it’s highly relevant for people to get out, savor the outdoors and take in the grandeur of the sky. It’s an immediate and direct connection to the reality of the universe. It requires very little explanation and it costs nothing to participate. I not only love the connection to the cosmos, but when I am with someone looking at the sky, I cannot help but connect at a deeper level – because connecting with the universe motivates each of us to think beyond the day to day and have a broader perspective on life.
As the IYA logo states so well, “The Universe – Yours to Discover.” Take someone outside soon and share the discovery. We’ll all be better off because you took action.
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