Out there in the great wide somewhere

Your guide to urban stargazing.

No matter how far away they are, the stars have a way of bringing us together in wonder and awe. If the sky has taught us anything, it’s that we know relatively little about it. At one point, the people on this planet thought the earth was flat and a mere 50 years ago, we did not know the things we do now about what’s beyond our own planet. Even 20 years ago, we did not know that planets were circling the sun around the solar system, according to Jana Kolan, a professor of astronomy and physics from Kwantlen Polytechnic University. This is due to the advances technology have had on the industry. With the computer, we have learned that our solar system is 4.5-billion years old–and still young! We’ve been able to advance our knowledge in radioactive dating, especially with the meteors we’ve brought back from the moon.

“This is something we wouldn’t know without technology,” says Kolan. Even with constant advances, astronomy may still elude us. We may never learn if our solar system is the only one unique enough to sustain life, although that is always open to interpretation.

In ancient times, astronomy always impacted worldviews. No matter where they were from, people identified the stars with the gods, and according to the International Astronomical Union, they took their movements across the sky as signs of what was to come. This is what we now call astrology. As our understanding of the world has evolved, our view of the world still intertwines with the stars. In an article by Marissa Roseburg named “Astronomy in Real Life,” she writes, “The discovery that the basic elements that we find in stars, and the gas and dust around them, are the same elements that make up our bodies [and] that has further deepened the connection between us and the cosmos.” This connection to the world around us is potentially one the reasons astronomy is so popular in today’s culture.

An interesting thing to learn about astronomy is that every 11 years there is something called a solar maximum. 2015 is in that eleventh year, so we are currently living in it. The solar maximum refers to the sun’s activity and its affect on Earth’s magnetic fields. Inside our atmosphere we are safe, but our satellites outside the atmosphere could potentially become electronically sensitive. Recently in the Lower Mainland, you may have seen or heard about the Northern Lights making an appearance this far south. This is a part of this amazing phenomenon.

The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, are the fantastical effect of collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun as they enter the earth’s atmosphere. According to the Huffington Post, when the lights make their way this far south it is due to exceptionally strong coronal mass ejections from the sun. This spring, we saw a number of evenings where the lights were visible from the tri-cities area all the way up to Whistler, as a result of the largest solar storm since 2013.

The next time an opportunity comes up where you can make your way out to see the beauty of the Northern Lights or the stars, consider some of these locations to take in the show: Spanish Banks in Vancouver, Porteau Cove on the Sea-to-Sky highway, Burnaby Mountain or Grant Narrow Regional Park in Pitt Meadows.

What’s really great about stargazing is the ease in which you can go about doing it. If you can follow a map to find your way around a city, you can find your way around the night sky.

It is important to keep in mind light pollution that often comes from urban spaces. It’s easy to remember a time when you’ve gone outside of the city, looked up at the sky and seen so many more stars that you ever would in a metropolis. Light pollution is due to our artificial light sources and the consequences are, unfortunately, washing out the sky above us. With more than half the world’s population now living in cities, according to Globe at Night, a program of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, three out of four people in cities have yet to experience the wonderment of a pristinely dark sky. While this may not sound like a big deal, keep in mind the night sky inspired some of the most profound and impactful artists of our time. A night out of the city with friends or someone special could be just what you need to inspire your curiosity.

Make your way out of the city. Go somewhere not just away from light, but from noise as well. Bring along a telescope to aid in your stargazing, remembering that the larger the telescope, the more starlight it will gather regardless of location–but convenience is important too. If you’re heading up to the roof of your building or hiking up to the top of Grouse Mountain – that big telescope will quickly become the next thing to collect dust in your basement.

Look online to see what astronomical events may be coming up, like a meteor shower or an eclipse. Check the weather. And, do not forget to consider your safety.

Stargazing can be a wonderful memory to make but be aware of your surroundings since you are out late at night, and probably away from civilization. And above all, take the time to remember that compared to all that is out there, the earth is very small.