If you’re trying to gauge the extent of the latter’s contributions to astronomy, it’s written in the stars. While the Greeks were among the first to formally record their findings, they were closely followed by Islamic astronomers. Zoom in to the faint red dots and you’ll see galaxies that are over 13 billion years old This image is of the galaxy cluster known as SMACS 0723, which is only about 4.6 billion years old. Each culture, with its peculiar knowledge base and religious practices, added to the understanding of our Universe. It is little wonder that the field of astronomy dates back to the 1st millennium BCE – the ancient science traversed borders. It was always a place of beauty and mystery, hope and darkness, that inspired artists and scientists alike. These ethereal snapshots have been delivered to us thanks to the technological marvel, JWST, which has been in the making for 30 years and has produced some of the sharpest images from space to date.īut long before these close-ups were trending, the night sky still captured our collective imagination. 'How do you measure the radius of the Earth when instruments are lacking? You climb a hill! That’s what astronomer Al Biruni did back in the day' But we hate to break it to you – the fiery image came from a not-so-sensual source gas and dust released by the dying stars created the fantastic hues and patterns. Most viewers were left mesmerised by the picture of a Southern Ring Nebula where star death was captured in all its blazing glory. It almost appears as though the glittering galaxies are locked in a sensual dance. The image of Stephan’s Quintet allows us to glimpse at how galaxies interact and merge with each other. It’s surreal to think that we’re looking at ancient galleries – some over 13 billion years old. The drama of the cosmos has been captured in vivid technicolour and it is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. 'We have moved from the bi-polar world of the Cold War and its Space Race to a multilateral world where some 70 nations are space-capable where a fast-growing private sector is taking an increasing role and global tensions have threatened some of the most cherished aspects of our exploration of space,' said Her Excellency Sarah Al Amiri, chair of the UAE Space Agency in her opening remarks.The recently released images from NASA, taken by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), have left Earth mesmerised. Who owns space? Who makes the laws? Who will pay for the clean-up of space debris? These were some of the questions running through the debate.

Safety and the sustainability of space were high on the agenda. Now with rising numbers of new players in space, out-of-date rules and tensions rising both on Earth and in space, the Space Debate aimed to provide a forum to cooperatively discuss the future of space. While space has been on the agenda at major world meetings before, including the COP climate meetings, it has always been as an adjunct, a side issue among many others. It was the first-ever international meeting solely dedicated to addressing new space challenges on a global scale. but also a direct and discernible impact on how we as a species engage with the environment.'Ĭhristensen who is the director of private sector programmes at the Secure World Foundation, an organisation that aims to promote space sustainability - was one of many speakers at the two-day meeting in December 2022, organised by the United Arab Emirates. 'For me it was a crystallisation,' he told delegates at the Abu Dhabi Space Debate.

He and his companions were listening to a ranger talk about the wonders of the night sky when they were confronted with an unexpected sight: a train of dots crossing the Milky Way. Last summer, lan Christensen was staring up at the night sky above a US National Park and International Dark Sky area. The new Space Age BBC Sky at Night Magazine | April 2023 With 70 nations, space-mad billionaires and eager private companies all vying for a stake - but no laws or rules -space today is verging on a free-for-all.

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