Is Astronomy relevant to human society? Look at your watch – we measure time based on the spinning of the earth. Our year is based on the orbit of the earth around the sun. The seasons are caused by the tilt of the earth. Ocean and air currents, which control our weather, are a direct result of the spinning of the earth. Without the sun, there would BE no weather, and no life on earth.

In fact, it is truly amazing just how much of human endeavor is directly affected by astronomy.

Literature and art- Shakespeare, Tolkien, Whitman, Frost, T.S. Eliot, Van Gogh, and Giotti were all influenced by the heavens.

Religion- In many ancient cultures, the sun god or goddess was the primary deity. Even today, Jews, Moslems, and Tibetan Buddhists rely on the phases of the moon to establish the timing of their holiest days. The date of Easter is also tied to the moon.

Geography- It was Eratosthenes, an astronomer, who first measured the circumference of the earth. Longitude and latitude were later measured by the transits and altitudes of stars. Where would a geographer be today without his or her GPS system (thanks to satellites in earth orbit)?

Marine biologists and sailors know the impact of tides on ocean life – tides caused by the gravitational influence of the sun and moon.

Energy? Solar power already runs much of the planet, from our weather to the food chain. If we can harness the same fusion power which drives the sun, the world’s energy problems will be peaceably solved.

Astronomy has always been a driving force behind technological advancements, beginning with the building of Stonehenge or even earlier. Why did Isaac Newton invent calculus? Because he needed a new mathematical technique in order to describe planetary orbits. The simple question “what would the universe look like if I rode on a beam of light” led Albert Einstein to develop the Special Theory of Relativity.

Most people know that we owe Tang, freeze dried coffee, Velcro, and the desktop PC to the space program. But there are far, far more technological advances which effect every facet of our lives which are direct outgrowths of astronomical research and exploration.

Weather satellites, global telecommunications, satellite dish tv, bar coding, smoke detectors, sensitive photographic films, cordless power hand tools and joystick controllers for video games are all directly derived from the space program. Imaging technology developed for the Hubble Space Telescope is currently being used to study and preserve historical documents and works of art. The same technology was used to read a previously illegible parchment of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Golfers have the space station project to thank for innovations in clubs. Food is being grown without soil via hydroponics technology, which was developed in order to provide food for astronauts on long voyages such as to Mars.

Astronomy has forever changed medicine, for the better. No more sticking a thermometer in your mouth – your temperature can be taken in your ear, utilizing technology developed to study the births of stars. The CAT scan and MRI both owe their origin to astronomical imaging. Technology originally developed by NASA is now used in digital mammography, which provides physicians with clearer images and exposes the patients to lower doses of radiation. The ventricular-assist heart pump was developed based on technology from space shuttle fuel pumps.

What can astronomy tell us about the future of our own planet? We know that Mars suffered a traumatic climatic change from which it never recovered. Will the same thing happen to us? Is it possible to terraform Mars, making it suitable for human habitation when we run out of room and resources on this planet? Venus suffers from the most horrendous global warming imaginable, a runaway greenhouse effect. What prevents earth from suffering the same fate?

In the 1600’s, a dramatic cooling of the earth called the Little Ice Age resulted in crop failure, famine, disease and death. Astronomers have shown that this climate change  was caused by the temporary dimming of the sun. They also know that such periods are a normal “nap time” for the sun, which happens every two centuries or so. Hmmmm…. 1600’s…. 1800’s…… How are you going to know when to invest in more firewood and a better parka? Astronomers know such periods are precipitated by a lack of sunspots.

And when a ten mile wide asteroid comes barreling our way – and it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when - ask yourself which field of human endeavor you are going to need on your side. No, not even Ben Affleck is going to save your collective butts – astronomers are.

In the beginning was the Big Bang, and in the end will be the heat death of the universe. Astronomy tells us where we came from, and where we’re ultimately going, as a planet, and as a civilization. The very atoms which make up your body were all created inside a previous generation of stars. Astronomy is what makes us human.