Astronomy Day a bright idea

Deseret News editorial
Published: Friday, May 9, 2008 12:20 a.m. MDT
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The universe is a big place. And that may be why Astronomy Day needs 48 hours this year — Friday and Saturday — to take care of business.

As a holiday, Astronomy Day will likely never rival Christmas, but amid the cluster of days set aside for special events, it is quickly earning a niche. To begin with, former Sen. Jake Garn has put his weight and stellar career behind Utah's contribution this year. And schools seem interested in using the day to trigger interest in the sciences by making learning exciting.

The day came to light, so to speak, in California in 1973 when a stargazer named Doug Berger decided rather than load folks onto buses and haul them to planetariums, he'd simply put telescopes in malls, parks — even on street corners — so people could drop in on the cosmos while passing. The idea went over like a big bang. Each year since, the day has expanded. People seem to enjoy the spontaneity of the moment, not to mention the chance to take their minds off the next task in the day.

Internationally this year, telescopes will be going up in places from Finland to the Philippines. Astronauts, moon rocks, gravity simulators and poetry are all on the global docket. Locally, the celebration begins Friday at 6:30 p.m. with star parties and telescopes in the parking lots of several Harmons stores. The Clark Planetarium will have science and equipment demonstrations and, as mentioned, space veteran Jake Garn will speak at 8 p.m. Saturday at This Is the Place Heritage Park. (For more information, go to www.clarkplanetarium.org.)

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For some, such a frolic might seem odd fodder for a newspaper editorial. But with so many human concerns to fret about — from the war to gas prices — pointing young people at the stars for a few moments doesn't seem like a bad ploy. Gazing at the stars is a quick way to gain some perspective and, with a little thought, realize there is a long view to life that usually helps people keep their balance and work through pressing issues.

In short, stargazing is not only instructional, it's therapeutic. Even more, it's fun.

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