In praise of … stargazing | Editorial

Somewhere along the road to modernity, this simple enjoyment got lost - but now it's back with a bang

Whether to navigate or simply to dream, we have always stared at the sky – or at least we always used to. But somewhere along the road to modernity, the simple enjoyment of those shimmering lights above our heads got lost. All of us were in the gutter, but none of us were looking at the stars – until now. Suddenly, stargazing is back with a big bang. Amazon reports a 500% increase in telescope sales, and the villagers of Dulverton in Somerset have been moved to switch off every light in their town to get the best possible view. What has fuelled this new love of the "cosmic dark"? For some the answer is the twinkling brilliance of Brian Cox, and his show Stargazing Live. Let us leave the much-celebrated Brian aside. Ultimately it doesn't really matter who started this renaissance. For the new stargazers – young and old – have grasped that we could all gain something by stopping in the dark once in a while, and simply looking up.