Looking Skyward at Night: Star Culture in a Colonized World

摘要

Humans all live under the same night sky, our view of the stars varying only due to our geographical location on the planet. Not all humans, however, value the cultural significance and meanings that are derived from astronomy and the night sky equally. Our connection to the cosmos can be muted by time and our place in history, weather, light pollution, or just the habit of looking down rather than up. In western society, we live inside more than outside, and are connected to electronic devices more than to the natural world. Humans are tentatively taking steps to venture out into the cosmos, just as we have, as a species, explored around our planet.