Celebrate the International Year of Astronomy: 2009

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If you didn’t know, 2009 is the International Year of Astronomy! The slogan is “The Universe, Yours to Discover”, and I couldn’t agree more.

Granted I’m coming from the mindset of someone who studied Astronomy and Physics primarily, but I can’t express to you the wonder of the Universe around you when you look up at the night sky and see the billions and billions of stars and other objects, imperceptibly far away but massive in size, glimmering and shining down on you.

It’s a natural next step to want to look at them more closely: to examine them in their largest, most intricate glory as you can possibly see them from so far away. And you don’t need a huge, high powered telescope to do this (although your local community college or University may have an observatory or planetarium you can visit), in many cases a good pair of binoculars and a good clear sky are all you need to engage with the universe beyond our own pale, blue, little world. I know sometimes I explore the heavens just as a reminder of how small we are – how precious every moment of our lives are, and how small and truly tiny our worldly problems are.

Share the love, do some exploring, and experience the stars. Do something special for the International Year of Astronomy!

[ 2009: International Year of Astronomy ]

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