Back when I was in college and we used to hang around the planetarium, the laser light show started with a song from the Jefferson Starship album, “Blows Against the Empire” called “Have You Seen the Stars Tonight?” It was a song from a man to a woman, both aboard a starship in the future, and he’s inviting her up to A Deck to see the stars. I always thought that was a romantic thing, embodying so much about stars and space exploration. Here’s how it goes:

Words/Music: Kantner, Crosby

Have You Seen The Stars Tonight?
Would you like to go up on ‘A’ Deck and look at them with me?
Have You Seen The Stars Tonight?
Would you like to go up for a stroll and keep me company?

Do you know
We could go?
We are free
Anyplace you can think of
We could be

Have you seen the stars tonight?
Have you looked at all the family of stars?

Maybe we’ll never get to the stars, but humans have a powerful link to the stars built into their bodies and thoughts. All we have to do is look up, and we’re looking at our past, and maybe our future.

So, have YOU seen the stars tonight?