In particular, I am interested in how light pollution and increasing satellite numbers affect different communities. We found this phenomenon may make the survey 7.5% less efficient and US$21.8 million more expensive.Ī brighter sky As a cultural astronomer, I am interested in the role of the night sky in cultural traditions around the world. In a new paper in Nature Astronomy, my colleagues and I applied this knowledge to predicting the performance of a major astronomical sky survey. Not only is ground-based light pollution increasing rapidly, but growing numbers of satellites and space debris in orbit around Earth are also impacting the night sky.Įarlier research showed that satellites and space debris may increase the overall brightness of the night sky. Countless people around the world gaze at the night sky: not only amateur and professional astronomers, but also casual observers who enjoy looking up at the stars to contemplate our place in the cosmos. The starry night sky has not only inspired countless works of music, art and poetry, but has also played an important role in timekeeping, navigation and agricultural practices in many traditions.įor many cultures, the night sky, with its stars, planets and the Milky Way, is considered just as important a part of the natural environment as the forests, lakes and mountains below. Since time immemorial, humans around the world have gazed up in wonder at the night sky. Debating which images should or shouldn’t have been ranked, and how high, would be an appropriate way to mark the past half century of NASA’s accomplishments.PTI | Queensland | Updated: 21-03-2023 11:37 IST | Created: 21-03-2023 11:36 IST Representative Image Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons We welcome the discussion we know this list will spark. Although a satellite had returned a picture of the whole Earth in 1967, it wasn’t until humans saw this view for the first time a year later that it entered our collective mind. This particular shot was from Apollo 17, but all of the moon-bound astronauts took similar photos. Used significantly by the environmental movement (although NOT, as often reported, the inspiration for Earth Day). Topping the list is the view of the whole Earth above, arguably the most influential image to come out of the American space program. Our only excuse is that the ranking reflects the affinity of the division of space history staff for space topics. We also recognize that, even though the first “A” in NASA stands for “aeronautics,” our list is light on aeronautical breakthroughs. Photos from the Apollo moon program predominate, as well they should-it remains the agency’s crowning achievement. The list omits significant events from space history that were not NASA achievements, such as the famous 1958 photograph of Wernher von Braun and the other architects of the Explorer 1 satellite celebrating their success by holding a model of the satellite over their heads, an event that occurred months before NASA existed. Many wonderful images did not make the final cut-we couldn’t convince the editors to give us 20 pages instead of 10. The rationale for why any one image ranked two slots higher than any other combines several factors, including our attempt to balance the list between human spaceflight, satellite imaging, and planetary exploration. We recognize that any such ranking is inherently subjective. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which began its operations on October 1, 1958, we offer this list of the 50 most memorable images from NASA’s history ( see all 50 in the photo gallery below).
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