We know why it’s important to teach kids math, reading, and writing. After all, these are skills they will use every day of their lives. They’re essentials. Unfortunately, we sometimes question if other subjects are quite as essential. Astronomy often falls under such scrutiny. What do any of us have to gain by knowing the order of the planets? Why does the composition of the Sun matter? Isn’t it ridiculous to speculate about the possibility of life outside our solar system?
Astronomy goes far beyond the facts that many of us are taught to memorize. It is where science begins and where it will end. It incorporates every discipline, from math to physics to chemistry. It is a deeply important field that shouldn’t be reserved for only those who have a natural interest, but should instead be taught to every human on Earth. So, here are the reasons why we believe astronomy education matters.
1. The Universe is Our Home
We learn all about geology, meteorology, history, and other subjects that relate to life on Earth. It makes sense, because the Earth is our home, after all. But is it our only home? When you think about it, Earth is really just the room we currently occupy under the much larger roof that is our solar system, galaxy, and ultimately the universe.
We’re one small rock in a conglomeration of other rocks and gaseous balls that come together to form something that is inconceivably big and yet all around us. Only learning about Earth is like studying the first few elements in the periodic table and calling it good. There is so much more out there, and all of it affects us.
2. It Spurs an Interest in Science
Kids love two things: dinosaurs and space (which is ironic, considering how much space and dinosaurs don’t get along). Encouraging an interest in space leads to a natural progression that gets kids interested in science and technology on their own, without any prompting. Even if space doesn’t hold their interest in the future, it can be the catalyst that leads them to chemistry, physics, engineering, and so many more disciplines that tie into astronomy.
3. It Teaches Appreciation
Kids and adults alike can learn to deeply appreciate their place in the world by studying astronomy. The term “miracle” isn’t very scientific, but it does come to mind when you think about the progression of events that lead to us. From a hot, dense soup of stuff, everything in the universe formed. From the stars, we got the elements that were necessary to help form us and everything else on our planet. It’s incredible, and it makes you appreciate every moment because of how unlikely it all seems. No matter what problems we might face, whether we don’t do well on a test or we are facing troubles at work, the mere fact that any of it exists at all is amazing.
4. It Teaches Humility
In that same vein, the vastness of the universe and the unlikeliness of our existence can teach us to be humble like nothing else can. Nothing really shows you your place in the world like contemplating the number of stars and planets out there. There are more stars (that we know of) than people on Earth, and that alone is a sobering fact.
Humility is something that we aren’t taught to experience, despite how transformative it can be. Many of our world’s problems stem from an excess of arrogance and the idea that we as humans are somehow above everything else or more special than even the planet we live on. The more you learn about astronomy and the processes that take place all around us, the more you realize that we are both special and not so special. It’s humbling to learn that we are so very small in a universe that is incredibly large. At the same time, it should bring all of us as humans closer together when we realize that we are sharing a (to our knowledge) unique experience.
5. It Will Continue to Grow as a Field
Some fields are slowly being phased out as we incorporate new technology and move society in new directions. Astronomy, however, is not one of those fields that are going away anytime soon. In fact, our current goals as far as space travel and space technology demonstrate the exact opposite. We’re aiming for places we’ve never been before, and we’re sending humans out farther and farther in our quest to know more. One day, without a doubt, humans will land on Mars. After that incredible achievement, who knows where we’ll go next.
Interest in astronomy can lead to so many incredible places, but that interest has to be encouraged through education. The only way we will continue to make leaps and bounds as a society is by giving our kids the tools they need to take us into a brighter future, and that future includes astronomy.
Learn More
Interested in learning more about astronomy and telescopes? Not sure where to begin? Check out our Astronomy Hub to learn more!
