Celebrating Astronomy Day

There are about 4,000 billion galaxies in our universe. The closest galaxies to Earth are Andromeda (2.5 million light-years away), Large Cloud (160,000 light-years away) and the Small Cloud (180,000 light-years away).

These are just some of the many fascinating facts I learnt on the occasion of Astronomy Day — which is today.

Reach out to all

The day is celebrated with a mission to bring “astronomy to the people'' across the world.

Enthusiasts will be able to look at the sky through latest telescopes and participate in events organised by planetariums, clubs, observatories and museums.

This trend was started by Doug Berger, president of the Astronomical Association of Northern California, US, in 1973.

His idea was to set up telescopes in convenient locations so people didn't need to commute long distances to observatories.

The event became a huge success and people kept coming back to relive the experience and learn.

In Dubai, there are no major observatories or impressive science centres, something the Dubai Astronomy Group hopes to change.

The president of the group, Hasan Ahmad Al Hariri, is working out ways to make Dubai a magnet for local, regional and international enthusiasts, astronomers and inventors.

“Our mission is to create something substantial. First, I want to establish an observatory for which we have already approached the government, as it will be a multimillion-dollar facility,'' Al Hariri said.

The Dubai Astronomy Group was founded in 1993 but wasn't introduced to the public until 2000. Since then, feedback has been phenomenal and the membership has stretched as far as Fiji and Venezuela.

Al Hariri, who is originally from Yemen, speaks of astronomy with a passion. As we discussed the wonders of the universe, he threw in interesting facts and figures and stories of star-gazing trips out in the desert, and I was fascinated.

“There could be an average of 200 billion stars in our galaxy and with new technology, our viewing of the stars will expand,'' said Al Hariri, adding, “The closest star to Earth, besides the Sun, is Proxima Centauri, approximately 4.2 light-years away.''

Because the distances are so great, a unit called a light-year — which is the distance light travels in one year — is used for measuring it. At an average, light travels 300,000 km per second.

International appeal

“Astronomy is a vast and remarkable field. Imagine a Science City in Dubai that incorporates education, entertainment and business elements. This will be a project for the whole world because it will attract international collaboration, new ideas and exhibitions,'' Al Hariri said.

The emirate, he says, will be a perfect location because the skies are relatively clear throughout the year. This makes observation easier.

When I asked him what his thoughts on other life forms were, he said it was definitely a possibility.

“Our galaxy is 250,000 light-years wide and there are at least 4,000 billion other known galaxies. So why should we assume we are alone?'' he said.

“God's creation is endless and with the sheer size of our universe, there is a definite possibility there are other life forms.''

Although he believes there could be other forms of life, he does not believe in aliens.

“What is the first thing you do when visiting a foreign country? You explore it and communicate with its people, right?'' he asked.

“So, I believe it is illogical because if they have such advanced technology why is there a lack of communication? They would not just hover over the Earth but would already be here,'' Al Hariri said.

The discussion was interesting to say the least, and all those numbers, the talk of light-years and names of galaxies and stars were really hard to grasp.

“There is no city in the world named after astronomy but I am sure Dubai will soon be known as the City of Astronomy,'' Al Hariri added.

Next year is astronomy year and the group is organising year-round events to which all are invited.

Be a member

If you wish to join the Dubai Astronomy Group, membership is free. Fee for training courses starts from Dh100.

The training ranges from basic to advanced levels.
Star gazing trips, astrophotography, lectures, seminars and conferences are arranged by the group.