Nation marks National Look Up at Sky Day
MISSISSIPPI — National Look Up at the Sky Day on April 14 encourages people to pause from daily routines and appreciate the sky, NationalToday.com reported.
NationalToday.com said the observance invites reflection on the vast expanse above and suggests that looking up and breathing can help reduce stress. The report noted that Artemis 2 astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen are back on land after they splashed down four days ago, offering recent reasons for people to turn their eyes skyward.
The holiday’s origins are unclear, several sources cited by NationalToday.com suggest, but the site said it may have been inspired by Jack Borden, a former Boston news reporter who allegedly had a life-changing moment in 1978 when he stopped and looked up at the sky. Borden later founded the nonprofit For Spacious Skies to encourage others to appreciate the natural world, NationalToday.com reported.
NationalToday.com also cited a Harvard study indicating that students who were more aware of the sky performed better in subjects such as reading, writing, music and visual arts. The story said the sky has long played a role in science, religion and navigation, noting that ancient civilizations such as the Mayans studied celestial objects, early sailors used the stars for navigation and astronomy is considered the oldest natural science. The item added that NASA has studied space since its founding in 1958.
Looking up also offers near-term viewing opportunities. AccuWeather said April’s Lyrid meteor shower is expected to peak April 21 into April 22 and could produce up to 15 to 20 meteors per hour under favorable conditions. CNET said a planetary alignment featuring Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Neptune will be visible in the early morning hours later in April. National Look Up at the Sky Day serves as a reminder of both the history and wonder above, and of simple practices that can help lower stress. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
