Year of Astronomy

Looking to the Skies - Celebrate the International Year of Astronomy

by Jamie Lober

The Pimas of Arizona tell the story of the Earth Doctor who felt the sky was too dark when the sun and moon were not out. “So he sang a magic song, and took some water into his mouth and blew it into the sky, in a spray, to make little stars,” Carter shares. “Then he took his magic crystal and broke it into pieces and threw them into the sky, to make the larger stars.”

2009 celebrates the International Year of Astronomy—the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s discovery of the telescope and Kepler’s publication of Astronomia Nova. Galileo’s findings changed the way we view science and our amazing universe. The International Year of Astronomy is not only celebrated by the experts; people from everywhere are coming together. “It is not just for astronomers, but for everybody,” insists Dr. Nadine Barlo of Northern Arizona University. People are starting to talk about solar resources, which can be influenced by studying the energy output of the sun. Even planets that aren’t visible can affect our own. “By studying other planets, you gain a better appreciation for your own earth and figure how it is similar and different to other planets,” says Barlo.

She also points out that adding our own lighting to the nighttime sky may influence our wellness. Studies have shown links between breast cancer and women receiving more artificial than natural lighting. Animals that get distracted by lights often end up getting crushed on highways.

“There are a lot of biological influences on extraneous light that are not good for humans or animals,” Barlo says. “It is important to keep the amount of light down and directed toward the ground where it does the most good. Humans do not sleep as well with nighttime lighting,” Barlo says.

Take some time out to look at the nighttime sky; you don’t need a telescope. And there are other fun ways to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy. You could visit the Star Trek exhibition at the Sybil B. Harrington Galleries at Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. Or, you can get your daughter involved with the Girls Math and Science Partnership, a program of Carnegie Science Center now with a branch at our own Arizona Science Center. Today’s young women will be a vital part of the amazing future of science. How about hosting a star party in your back yard, where you can enjoy gazing at the beautiful night sky with friends? Whether you’re a novice or an expert, you’ll have fun locating the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia. Arizona, with its clear skies and remote locations, has long been a place where experts come to study the stars.

“The most important [aspect] is planet security, monitoring comets and keeping track of the sun’s activity like solar flares and events that impact our magnetic fields on this planet,” says Jamie Householder, administrative assistant at NAU’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. He adds that these events have a significant impact on telecommunicators—especially wireless.

With advances and new technology, there are sure to be more reasons to celebrate astronomy in future years. But the old reasons for looking upward are still as compelling as ever. Even today, the Navajo legend of the First Woman arranging the stars in the patterns that later became constellations is remembered as we watch the Cold Man of the North and his wife dance in the nighttime sky.

Jamie Lober is a freelance writer based in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is a frequent contributor to Phoenix Woman.