Astronomy is often considered the oldest science. Since the dawn of human history, men and women have gazed into the heavens.  From our vantage point on spaceship Earth, anyone with good eyes and a sense of curiosity can take a tour of the cosmos without leaving their backyard! The night sky has always been a source of wonder and awe; and one cannot but help gain a new perspective about life when watching the stars!

We live in a fantastic time in astronomy history. Space flight, just a dream a hundred years ago, is now routine. Twelve men walked on the Moon. There is a space station orbiting the Earth. Our mechanical friends - the space robots - are plying the Solar System sending back pictures and information about the Sun, planets, comets and asteroids. And the Hubble Space Telescope has photographed galaxies near the edge of the Universe. And these photos are transmitted right into our living rooms via television, or the Internet! As an informed and educated society, we all can enjoy the celestial sky free from the superstition, fear, and ignorance which plagued people for thousands of years.

You do not need to know astronomy, nor be an experienced observer to enjoy the night sky. I was eleven years old with no knowledge nor training in astronomy when I started observing the sky. Astronomy is for everyone!  It is a great activity for children -  many famous astronomers began observing the sky when they were children.