May 30, 2016 The night we pointed at Mars
Last night we looked to Mars during its opposition with planet Earth.
During opposition, when Mars is directly opposite us from the Sun, our two planets are the closest they will ever be. At least physically.
One thing in particular I noticed while gazing up at the sky last night, was the shape the stars made around Mars. The constellation of scorpio consists of a curving chain of stars, branching into 3 stars. Ancients saw this pattern as the shape of a scorpion from tail to head. With Mars nearby, this constellation takes on an entirely new shape. The shape of an arrow.
With billionaires like Elon Musk pushing the space industry to new heights, Mars is within human grasp.
The possibility of humans setting foot on Mars is ever more likely, and a growing number of us are getting excited. There is somewhat of a faction with their eyes set on Mars.
The possibility of you reaching Mars, you who is reading these words right now, is a reality. Technology grows at an ever expanding rate and we become closer to sending humans into space, safer and cheaper than ever before.
Going to Mars may seem a bit frivolous.
What problems does going there really solve? Mining asteroids has at least some obvious benefits, in the form of raw materials we would no longer need to deplete from the earth. The Moon may hold valuable resources as well, and its far more reachable than our red neighbor.
Outside of scientific curiosities, it would seem that a journey to Mars isn’t necessary. And I would have to agree. Going to Mars is not a necessity for the human race. We are quite resourceful and have more then enough resources here on this planet to solve most any problem we might have.
But I still believe we should journey to Mars.
In the preparation for such a complex and awe inspiring adventure we must push the boundaries of science, technology, and humanity. Sure, we may not need to go to Mars, but the challenge of getting there will produce exponential benefits here on Earth.
Think of all the technologies and innovations that have come from NASA. Many of which seemingly have nothing to do with space, but provide a benefit to us nonetheless. By pushing the envelope on human achievement we create untold benefits to the world.
Going to Mars is just the type of crazy goal that humans need to drive innovation.
Innovation is always growing as we find new problems to solve, but the speed it grows can be accelerated by pushing our boundaries. By solving an immense problem of our own design, i.e. How do we get to Mars?, speeds up innovation by forcing it to bend to new rules.
The benefits gained from our journey to Mars will pervade all of society. Industries such as agriculture, energy, and transportation will all be effected by the push to get to Mars. Billionaires like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson are already causing ripples of change with their space companies and their complementary companies.
I for one am extremely excited for where humanity is heading.
The pursuit of Mars may seem frivolous to some, I believe it to be the grandest of goals. To get there we must make sure that the Earth is in working order. Mars is not our excuse to leave a planet behind. Mars is our chance to push the envelope and innovate beyond our current horizons. The Earth is already benefitting immensely from those who believe in getting to Mars, and it will only benefit more moving forward.
I’m not sure if there is an official movement out there yet regarding those of us who believe in a future on Mars, but I’m sure its coming. I for one have found a symbol that represents the day I truly decided to set foot on Mars. And that day is May 30, 2016. The symbol is the arrow formed by Scorpio and Mars in the early morning of May 30, 2016.
I may develop this further as time goes on, but here is the initial “logo” I made using the celestial arrow and Mars, the red planet.
I’ll leave with a final note regarding the ancient civilizations and their obsession with astrology.
I believe we have become extremely disconnected with the night sky. Light pollution invades most livable areas of the world. Most people living may have never truly experience a clear night sky. All we see are the few stars who’s light can make it through our cities’ light.
Ancient people would have seen a wondrously complex night sky on most clear nights. Spending much of their lives looking up at the Gods (constellations) they had a deep perception of the movement of the night sky. An intuition of where each of their beloved Gods was positioned. Without electronics or GPS these people could navigate their worlds confidently by gazing upward.
With a 24/7 distraction device located in most of our pockets, many of us forget to gaze upward from time to time. We have lost a deep appreciation for something that has been with humanity since the dawn of time. The awe inspiring beauty of the universe in which we live.
