Hey!!! Have you ever wondered…what is astronomy? Why is it important?
Well astronomy is the study of celestial objects, space, and the physical universe as a whole. Without astronomy many technological discoveries may have never been made and we would not know about the mysterious lights and shapes in the night sky.
However, in 1958, July 29th President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed an act that made history by creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The establishment of NASA was originally inspired by the creation of Sputnik, which was the first artificial satellite to be placed in orbit around the world. After this, the US began to make technological advances leading to the establishment of NASA.
Since then, NASA has made many groundbreaking scientific leaps such as playing a large part in the creation of the international space station, which serves as a home and laboratory for astronauts in space. Along with the ISS, NASA was the first to successfully land people on the moon, which was a historic event for the USA that ended the international space race. With countless revolutionary innovations, NASA has proved themselves to be a true pioneer within the discoveries of the cosmos as we know and understand them today.
But what does space have to do with the ocean?
Did you know that we know more about the surface of the moon than we do about the bottom of the ocean? Through the research we do in space, we begin to understand and discover more about the ocean as well. From the very beginnings of our astronomical research, we were able to prove that the gravitational pull from the moon has a major effect on the tides and as well has a physical, chemical and biological effect on the ocean. Just imagine how many possibilities the future holds for more pioneering discoveries out there in the stars and how much astronomy connects with the oceans and us!
