CHASING STARS

Jeff Li

Why the study of Astronomy deserves more attention from the Public

What is your reaction when someone talks about Astronomy? Hate it, or love it?

Indeed, everyone has seen the stars at night, in the past, or at least heard of Elon

Musk, who is keen on his dream of sending humans to Mars; however, how

much do we know about the Universe? As far as I am concerned, no one on Earth

can confidently say he or she knows everything going on in the universe, unless,

he is the God.

I had little knowledge about the study of the Universe before I came to Basis. As

a high school freshman, I did not know how to choose courses. My first choice

was not Astronomy, but public speech & debate or something like that.

According to the “first come first serve” principle, I was assigned to Astronomy

because public speech & debate had already hit the limit of maximum capacity. I

still remember my reaction when I learned this: What the hack is Astronomy

teaching? Do we study stars the entire year? Can I drop it and take an AP

instead? As you can see, my first impression of Astronomy is not positive.

Granted, this opinion started to change when I had my first astronomy class,

which was truly memorable and delightful. I am bewildered by the fact that we

have a planetarium on campus merely for astronomical observations. To be

honest, I’ve never seen a giant telescope like that in my entire life. Even in

magazines or journals, a picture of a planetarium is rare unless it is designated

for Astronomy specifically. At that moment, I felt like something tickled my

heart----- “I am into it”, my mind told me.

Sporadically, we can go to the planetarium and observe stars when the weather

gets better. However, most of the time, clouds block our view, and light pollution

inhibits the performance of our major telescopes, distracting their focus and

concentration. Maybe our school is not the best place to observe celestial bodies.

Comparatively, it is the most optimal condition that we can make out of in the

urban areas. There is no way we can do the same thing here in Shenzhen. Can

we do better than this? Yes, public opinion is important in shaping the prospect

of the study of stars.

In a world full of things that can distract us, Astronomy is like a cozy place where

we can be amazed and think deeply. It encourages us to look beyond what's

normal and think about the mysteries that exist beyond our view of the sky. The

way planets and stars move together, and the amazing sight of galaxies spread

out in space — hold secrets that we want to understand.

So, when we look up at the night sky, let's not just see faraway twinkling lights

but doorways to endless possibilities. Let's look up with wonder and amazement,

knowing that in studying Astronomy, we discover not just answers but a never-

ending journey full of discovery and excitement.