The first step you take to space is the one you take when you go outside and look up at the stars. A lot of questions crowd your mind. How far away are those stars? is a good one. Another one that you eventually get to is: How did they form?

Astronomy, the science that studies the stars and planets and galaxies, is a rigorous way of looking at the stars and explaining how they came to be. It applies physics, which is another science that we all learn at some point in our lives. The laws of physics describe motions, actions, and reactions. Pretty simple, really. Something happens, a law of physics describes that happening. If you can observe it, you can describe it. If it happens often enough in the same or similar ways, the laws of physics describe it. That’s the essence of science, and the application of physical laws. Clear thinking is required and it’s not hard to do once you get the hang of it.

So, the stars are out there, and over centuries of study, we’ve figured out how they work, where they came from, and what they’re going to do throughout their lives. Same with planets and galaxies and nebulae.

But, the first step is to go out there and gaze.

There’s a project going on in the first two weeks of October called the Great World Wide Star Count. It’s aimed at anybody who wants to go outside, look up at the stars, and then share what they see with others. It’s a science project, and as such things go, it’s pretty easy. You go outside, look for specific constellations and then come inside and write up what you see in a form on the World Wide Web. Visit the link to find out more. It’s time to step outside to the stars! Start practicing for the Star Count tonight!