International Astronomy Day is observed two times a year. While one is celebrated in Spring and the other one is in Autumn.
Representational image. AFP
International Astronomy Day is observed two times a year. While one is celebrated in Spring and the other one is in Autumn. This year the days will fall on 7 May and 1 October 2022. The day is commemorated globally to make people aware of one of the greatest natural sciences existing in the world-Astronomy.
People have always desired to look beyond the night sky full of stars. Like our ancestors, we still watch the night sky with more curiosity. Over the period, many cultures around the globe have practised it with naked eyes and the reflection has been seen in their society.
One of the major examples is Mayan Astronomy. The Mayan people observed the sky, kept the records and using them they created calendars and star charts. According to the Mayan people, the actions of God could be determined by the movement of the stars.
Eventually, the world progressed and people invented many gadgets to study the movement of the earth and other planets. It was Nicolaus Copernicus who first proposed that the earth rotates around the sun. He challenged the then-existing myth and proposed that human being is a small part of the universe.
History and Significance of World Astronomy Day:
As per Starwalk.space, Astronomical Association of Northern California president Doug Berger started to celebrate World Astronomy Day in 1973. He intended to raise curiosity among the people who live in urban areas. He set up telescopes in those areas to let people watch the sky and learn more from the field of astronomy. Sooner, many organisations and institutions across the world started to celebrate the day. In 2006, another day was decided to be included in the fall.
How World Astronomy Day is marked:
On this day, astronomy enthusiasts and professionals share their experience and knowledge of outer space with the general public. It helps to make people interested to explore the space. Seminars, workshops and many space-related activities take place in museums, planetariums and educational institutions.