When you step outside on a dark, clear night and glance up at the sky and see all those amazing twinkling lights, something clicks in your mind. It’s hard to put your finger on it, but you know what you see is spectacularly amazing.
Today, our days are filled with activities, assignments, work, and deadlines surrounded by technology with a constant need to be occupied or be at someplace deemed important. In a daily American comic strip Calvin and Hobbes it was mentioned, “If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I’ll bet they’d live a lot differently,” and we tend to agree.
Nepal remains in the top tier of the World’s best stargazing site. National Geography explored the world and published a list of “World’s Best Stargazing Sites.” This list had seven countries, including Nepal’s Everest National Park. National Geography wrote that it was his most dramatic stargazing experience. The stars appear above Mount Everest, and he claimed it looked amazing and most unique.
Here are Some Benefits of Stargazing for Kids
Stargazing in a dark night is quickly gaining popularity among the younger generation. The clear dark night skies help provide inner peace and are an excellent form of escape from your stress. Stargazing can be a wonderful way to acquire peace, spend time with your family, or have a serious conversation about life with yourself or with a friend. Studies show that there are many benefits to stargazing too. Did you know that?
1. It Helps Kids Get Outside
In today’s world, kids are mostly in front of electronics, such as television, tablets, laptops, and phones, every day. Especially in the time of COVID restrictions, online classes are mandatory, and all the activities are online-based, which has really affected the lifestyle and creativity of children. Kids are replacing active outdoor plays for more comfortable activities and staying at home.
This affects their overall growth and their physical health. Most parents would want their children to be healthy physically and mentally, independent and compassionate. The best way to inspire these qualities in your kids is to motivate or attract them to spend more time outside.
2. Helps to Attract kids Towards Science
It is fun and often attracts young people to the sciences. Most children enjoy talking about stars, planets, supernovas, moons, comets, and asteroids. These topics are great for conversations and usually rank up there, with dinosaurs and history as an interesting topic for discussion.
It could help break the ice with introverted kids or even help them learn how to initiate a conversation. Basic Astronomy can be taught nearly anywhere in the world. It doesn’t really need any technical equipment, and even if they want to be a professional, they can start with an amateur telescope and good binoculars.
3. An Escape from Busy Schedule
We have a connection with nature, and interactions with nature are important for the overall health and wellbeing of everyone. Sadly, not all of us can peep out of our windows and enjoy the beautiful night sky. Research shows that if you only have exposure to artificial light, it decreases your sleep quality.
It also indirectly affects your mental health by causing anxiety and may even lead to depression. Stargazing can become a sanctuary that can help you improve your mental health by decreasing stress and can be an escape from the busy schedules of modern urban life.
4. The Flow of Your Creative Spirit
Dark night with sparkling points never gets boring. We know very little about the stars and constellations, and many known things are based on assumptions and hypotheses. You can always find new ways to explore it or create a new world to follow it based on your own understanding and beliefs.
Every time you step out to gaze at the stars, you can see things differently and perceive them differently. When you watch the clear night sky, it helps you to collect important thoughts, lets your creative spirit flow through you, and also helps you acquire peace and relief. It is said that the best ideas come in a time of necessity or when you try in peace.
5. Increasing Family-fun Time
Stargazing can be a social hobby. The stargazing activity can be a relation-building activity with your family where you can grow closer and be familiar with each other’s views and opinions.
Spending time with your family is always beneficial for the mental health of a kid, which would help them in every aspect of life. It can be made more fun with a barbecue and snacks and also some music for fun. Some cool apps can help you track stars, constellations, and also some plants.
6. Need of Darkness
Animals and plants depend on the cycle of day and night, where the night allows them to rest, reproduce, feed, and hide from predators. Artificial lighting includes the clouds brightened by reflection from land, lighting dark areas from bright artificial lights like in a jungle. This affects the natural life of animals which is important for their survival.
Their survival is essential to balance the ecosystem. The scientists, too, have now been aware of the benefits of darkness and the impacts of excessive artificial light. These impacts also affect human beings like any other animal. Research shows that only exposure to artificial light could lead to health problems like diabetes, obesity, sleeping disorder, and various form of anxiety.
Try it Tonight
Take someone who does it or use an app to start. It is an exciting activity that can help you increase your creative juice and reduce your stress. Stargazing will never get boring, and you will never be tired of it because there are always new natural views and wonders to enjoy.
The best part is that all you need are your eyes. It does not require any membership or any commitment. It is fast and effective and requires no special equipment. Some days might be gloomy, or stars may not be visible due to light pollution, but you can still enjoy a beautiful black sky.
