Night: A Time for Dreams and Dreamers
Before light pollution hid many of the stars and other objects, the night sky inspired people to wonder and dream, create art and stories, and also helped them travel across the globe. For astronomers, enthusiasts, and casual viewers of the night sky, the stars continue to inspire people to dream big and stay curious. Without a dark night sky, we wouldn't have works of art like Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night, sent missions into space, or even have the Discovery Center. Thankfully, humankind has had a long relationship with the stars and has used them to travel, express themselves, and tell their stories. What do you love most about spending time under the night sky?
Meteor showers, the Northern Lights, and the Milky Way are a few of the awe-inspiring objects and events that people have been able to see in the night sky over thousands of years of human history. Looking at night sky is the common tie between us today and ancient humans and can be traced back through time to different civilizations all over the world. This image below is part of the Dunhuang star chart, dating back almost 1,400 years in China, that accurately depicts more than 1,300 stars we still see today.
Ways that Humans have Used the Stars:
Other than studying astronomy and trying to understand what the stars actually are, what they’re made of, and how the universe works, there are a few ways that past humans used the stars.
Navigation: Stars have positions that are easy to track and can be used to know which direction someone is heading along their path. Wayfinding, like seen in Disney’s Moana, and tools like sextants both use the stars for this.
Religion, Mythology, & Star Stories: Like a big connect the dots, people across time and place created constellations that reflect what happens on Earth, explain why some things are the way they are, or are associated with Gods and heroes, among other things. Most commonly known are Greek and Roman mythology and constellations, but people in other places like ancient China, ancient Egypt, or indigenous North America have their own constellations.
Art: From star charts and cave paintings to Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night, humans have been creating art inspired by the night sky. These show the beauty of the sky, but there are also works of art and literature that talk about aliens and moons made of cheese that make imaginations run wild.
Protect the Night and Our Past
While the effects of light pollution are widespread, there is so much that we can all do to improve outdoor lighting, reduce light pollution, and get back in touch with the dark night. Help to protect the night sky by continuing to learn more about light pollution and how you can make a difference in your neighborhood and community by creating good lighting habits at home and consider talking with your neighbors or town to help better their lighting as well! The International Dark Sky Association is a great place to start your journey on the way to better nights. The Discovery Center hopes that you have enjoyed our International Dark Sky Week Virtual Celebration and look forward to enjoying dark skies in our planetarium with you soon!
Sources:
https://britastro.org/dark-skies/cfds_environment.php?topic=stars
https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/indigenous-peoples-astronomy/
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180424-what-i-learnt-by-living-without-artificial-light
https://archive.curbed.com/2017/3/30/15097154/light-pollution-dark-sky-community-colorado
https://dailyhive.com/seattle/famous-cities-without-light-pollution-photos
http://abyss.uoregon.edu/~js/ast121/lectures/lec02.html
https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronomy/basics/brief-history-astronomy.asp
https://egypt.hitchins.net/pyramid-myths/ancient-egyptian-constellat.html
http://idp.bl.uk/4DCGI/education/astronomy/sky.html
http://irfu.cea.fr/dap/Phocea/Vie_des_labos/Ast/ast.php?id_ast=2615
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201011.html
By Amanda Leith
