Humans have relentlessly explored space for over six decades now. We have launched satellites, sent astronauts to the Moon, landed rovers on Mars, and flown spacecraft beyond our solar system.
But we've been gazing into the night sky for much longer. And the appropriately titled X account 'Space' is the perfect example of why.
It's dedicated to sharing breathtaking images of distant galaxies, nebulae, and planetary wonders, highlighting the awe that floods you whenever you look up.
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Chris Barnes is an academic psychologist at the University of Derby in the UK studying nature connectedness — the links humans feel to nature — and how that may benefit us.
With a passionate interest in astronomy and the night sky, Dr. Barnes wondered whether the connection felt by some people to nature in the day would also exist for the night.
However, when reviewing the existing scientific literature left him unsatisfied, he set out to do some research himself.
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"I'd discovered that there was very little in terms of the research that was talking about people's connection to the natural world at night," he said last month.
"Whether that be the night sky and what it has to offer, but also the impact that light pollution has upon people's connection to the night sky."
So Dr. Barnes set out to develop a measure that could quantify how connected we feel to the night sky, aptly named the Night Sky Connectedness Index.
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It's a 12-item test, with each one being a statement such as "I find beauty in the night sky" or "I feel at home under the night sky".
People respond with how much they agree or disagree and are scored based on their answers.
The lowest score is zero, meaning no connection to the night sky, and the highest is 120, which signifies a very strong connection.
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Dr. Barnes tested this measure of night sky connectedness on more than 400 people, and he also gave them tests rigorously developed in previous studies to measure their levels of happiness, resilience, and mental well-being.
Those who reported a stronger connection to the night sky scored better on mental health and happiness scales too.
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The findings were published earlier this year, and Dr. Barnes suggests that the connection may stem from the mindfulness people experience while stargazing—the chance to be fully present and embrace the awe that washes over us when we look at the night sky.
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Time spent under the stars may have physiological effects similar to spending time in nature during the day, including decreases in blood pressure, reported stress, and cortisol levels, Dr Barnes said.
"So we really enter this state of physiological relaxation which is good for us. The more we do those kind of things, the more likely we are to see these wellbeing benefits."
Hopefully, these pictures will inspire you to look up!
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