Global Astronomy Month – April 2025

History of Global Astronomy Month

Astronomy has been studied for hundreds of years. It is the science and study of celestial phenomena and extraterrestrial objects. Human beings have been sky gazing for as long as they have looked up. Earlier cultures would consider celestial objects as deities and spirits. Since the beginning of recorded history, people have been mesmerized by the wonders of outer space.

Western astronomy originated from Mesopotamia, and Babylonian astronomy served as the foundation for studies in Greek, Indian and Islamic astronomy. When the Indus Valley Civilization existed, around 3000 B.C., calendars were first made using Indian astronomy. The Greeks and Romans were great admirers of the sky and created recordings, figures, and different charts explaining the meaning of the stars and planets. Some of the noted astronomers of the world are Nicholas Copernicus, who proposed that the earth revolves around the sun, and Galileo Galilei, who discovered the moons of Jupiter and made revolutionary telescopic inventions. Doug Berger, President of the Astronomical Association of Northern California, ‌created Global Astronomy Day in 1973. Astronomy Month was also launched at about the same time to give everyone a month-long activity.

The fundamental concept behind it was to install telescopes across major urban areas like parks and retail centers to spark interest in astronomy among the general people. The idea worked like a charm, and since 1973, there have been 48 Global Astronomy Months.