Exploration! Bringing the excitement back into the lives of…well I guess the small amount of you that might actually sit down and read this. Why do we explore? Why do we journey to space? Human curiosity is a curious thing, it is powerful and strong. Curiosity, really brings out the worse side in some us, we snoop through peoples Facebook, Instagram, and whatever else is out there (you know who you are)—and why do we do this? Because, WE HAVE TO KNOW!
We have to know what’s out there in the universe! POP QUIZ! True or false, the universe is expanding? Okay, okay, I’ll give you the answer—it’s true. An infinite universe, of endless possibilities. One of the greatest and most versatile scientific instruments this world has, is the Hubble Space Telescope. It has given us a view into the universe unlike ever before. The Image posted above is the Hubble Ultra Deep Field View, containing an estimated 10,000 galaxies! Out of 10,000-ish galaxies just in that view, not counting the galaxies hidden behind the ones we see, how is it not possible that other life is out there. That there isn’t another form of existence looking to find us, as we look to find them. Maybe they have already perfected space travel, maybe they already know we’re here, but don’t want to stop by yet. It leaves me curious, to know what lives within these other galaxies full of planets and stars of their own.
When I look up at night I think about the possibilities of the universe, I think about the stars, I see and how the light that is visible to my eye, is actually millions or billions years old. I think, is what I see a living star or dying star? Oh yea, that’s right stars die, in a super dramatic way called supernova. For those who don’t know this already.
Exploration! We explore to learn, to advance, and to challenge ourselves. It’s the same reason we explore the rain forest or the deserts of Africa. The same reason we dive to depths of the Ocean or snoop through social media. We are human, we are curious, and we have so much yet to explore.
Next time you’re outside look to the stars and wonder, where did this all come from, how does this all work. Are you curious? Are you ready to explore with me?
Feel free to share you’re thoughts on why we explore, I’d love to hear them.
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and S. Beckwith (STScI) and the HUDF Team
I Need Space 