It is therefore the science that is accessible to the widest of all audiences. The picture of the Universe revealed by modern astronomy should be an essential ingredient in a modern education. The colossal size of the Universe, its immense age, the uniform nature of its constituents and processes all provide a context for the place of mankind in the scheme of things. On a more local scale, our knowledge of the solar system has increased phenomenally in the past 25 years, providing a valid context for environmental science that previous generations have never had. Astronomy more than almost any other discipline opens one's mind to think the unthinkable and experience the limits of nature.
Biological science seems to be taught as if it is concerned only with what happens on Earth.
Modern astronomy is slowly strengthening the view that biology is likely to be a common phenomenon in the Universe. I suspect it is time for the next generation of biologists to have some knowledge of Astronomy . It is becoming increasingly clear that the dynamics of the solar system , from orbital sizes and shapes to meteorite impacts, has shaped life on Earth . The Earth has provided an environment that has been just right for the evolution of life for a few billion years. The study of other planets is essential knowledge for answering this question.