The phases of the moon move from the beginning (lower left) to the totality of a lunar eclipse. Space, the great unexplored theater of man, could also become the next theater of war. MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/GETTY IMAGES View More Images from this story Visit the Photo Place

THE FINAL FRONTIER FROM WONDER TO WEAPONS, SPACE REMAINS MAN'S LAST MYSTERY B

Will our children appreciate the majesty of space?

Date published: 4/30/2006

EFORE THERE WERE the modern distractions of computers, video games, the Internet, and television programs to entertain us after the sun sank below the horizon, there were the stars. The stars, moon, and planets were my constant companions when I was growing up in the suburbs of Northern Virginia during the 1970s and 1980s--which led to a lifelong passion for astronomy and nature.

I still revel in the majesty and beauty of the night sky after all these years as I realize each star I see is similar to our own sun, but so much farther away.

Because of modern distractions, I fear that our children will lose the connection with the heavens and nature that every one of us should have.

Our ancestors depended on the cycles of the sun, moon, and stars for their survival and to mark the passage of time--but this dependency diminished as technology grew and we sheltered ourselves in our homes after dark. With advanced technology came more outdoor lighting, which brightened the night sky with a murky glow and reduced the number of stars visible to the unaided eye.

Nowadays, from any metropolitan area, the stars visible can be counted on a hand or two--a far cry from my childhood days of seeing hundreds of them at a time.

It is very important for us to understand and appreciate our connection with the heavens as our ancient ancestors did. For example, our sun provides light and heat to drive Earth's weather, and gives life to the plants we eat. In this way, each and every human on Earth is really solar-powered.

Without the heat and light of the sun, most of the life on our planet would die in a matter of months. The sun is so close, yet so far away that it would take almost 177 years to get there if you were able to drive on an imaginary solar-system highway at 60 miles per hour with no bathroom breaks.

It makes me wonder whether our place in the solar system is a privileged spot where life developed, or is this a common place in the universe filled with billions of stars? I will leave that question to the scientists and theologians for now.

DAVID ABBOU of Stafford is an amateur astronomer who speaks to local schools in order to get children interested in astronomy and the space program.

Follow us on

Date published: 4/30/2006