I’d really like to see a lot more activity in astronomy for everybody in our society. Heck, I know it’s idealistic, but I wonder why we can’t get more grants for star parties, or get stargazing leagues together? While it’s great that Scouts get telescopes (and maybe share them with other non-Scouts once in a while), what else can we do for the folks who don’t belong to Scouts or other such youth groups? It’s a challenge, no doubt about it.

There doesn’t seem to be a lot of media exposure for stargazing activities. Watching the stars isn’t a story that bleeds or leads, and when you see something the papers at all about astronomy, it’s rare. Yet, news about astronomy DOES get written, judging by the press releases I get in my email box each day. So, how do we translate that stuff into public recognition of the oldest science? Any ideas?