Han: The night sky is such an incredible resource that every culture has connected with throughout all of human history. Although only 1/10 Americans can see the Milky Way from their backyard today, there are still so many ways to connect to the sky. International Dark Sky Parks, Communities, and Places exist in every state and provide ideal stargazing opportunities. If these places are inaccessible to you, there are telescope live streams, amazing photos and videos of deep space objects, and more scientific research into the wonders of space than ever before. I hope this era of scientific connection to space can continue to spark curiosity and connection to the wonders of the universe.
Nathan: We are entering a new golden age of space exploration! New technology like the James Webb Space Telescope and NASA’s Artemis missions are giving humanity new looks at the universe that we live in and our place in it. We are refining and growing our search for extraterrestrial life, and soon, we may be returning to the moon and eventually continue on to Mars! I truly believe that this is the best time to be into astronomy since the space race of the 1960s. There is so much exciting discoveries to be made, and I hope people can get more involved.