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A few months ago, I attended the Intrepid Museum’s Member’s Preview for their current exhibit, Hubble@25. And, in honor of Hubble’s Birthday this week, I thought that it is the perfect time to revisit a few of my thoughts. (Original post HERE; portions of this post have been rewritten and updated.)
At any given point throughout history, there are always those looking out beyond what is able to be seen in the here and now. They have allowed wonder to guide them, pushing their horizon just a little bit further, expanding their world just a little bit more. These explorers and innovators are willing to accept the challenge of newness and risk in order to discover the unknown. It’s incredible isn’t it? They have faced danger, discomfort, and loss of the familiar in order to see what can be. Though not all explorers have willingly signed up for adventure, some forced to do so in order to find food or safety, they did stand up to the challenge and say, there is something more, and I will find it. We are the continued beneficiaries of those who dare to ask what is beyond the known.
My fascination with our space program has been one that has stemmed from great admiration of those who have accepted that challenge as well as those who support them through innovation. It has inspired me, and often fueled me through difficult times. If they are capable of achieving the once unimaginable, then I can surely face the small unknowns in my own life, right?
It is why I find it so important to share my passion for space exploration with my daughter. I want her to know in her heart that there is more out there than what is just seen with our own eyes. Sometimes when you are on a mission to discover and make the unknown know, you need to build your own tools to make it so. (Hat tip, Jean-Luc Picard.) I think this lesson is just as valuable to understand as reading, writing and arithmetic. We need to teach the importance of things such as wonder, perseverance, innovation and vision. In fact, it is a life long lesson that I myself am still learning.
For 25 years, Hubble has been providing inspiration and a window into the vast unknown, and it is spectacular. The images are astonishingly beautiful, and awe inspiring. In fact, Hubble itself is a story of inspiration; she is a testament to repairing mistakes, adapting to circumstances at hand and she whispers “perseverance” as she lays out a beautiful display of what is beyond our very own eyes, but not beyond our capability of building ways to look beyond what is known. For more images of
Now… a few thoughts on the Intrepid Museum‘s exhibit: Hubble@25. A few months ago, in the pouring rain, I attended the Members’ Preview, and I can tell you that it was well worth getting completely soaked to the bone! (Photos below.)
If you are in the NY area, you can find the exhibit under the belly of Space Shuttle Enterprise aboard the USS Intrepid. Astronaut Mike Massimino, who had worked on the last servicing mission for Hubble, helped curate the exhibit and was there last night to share the opening with us. Congratulations to him and the entire team at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum for putting together a fantastic exhibit!
It rained… a lot. But it was worth it.
So… how can YOU start weaving inspiration from space into your own life? In addition to pouring over books written by inspiring Astronauts such as Chris Hadfield, and Westchester born, Ron Garan, make sure to follow NASA on whichever social media platform you favor. Below are a few of my favorites; you can also download the NASA app directly to your tablet or mobile device and stream live images of our beautiful earth taken from the ISS.
NASA
NASA Social
NASA Goddard
NASA Orion
Hi Kelly, that first picture reminded me of the art exhibit at the Somers library right now! Come and take a look at those pictures of stars and planets, shot with a huge camera!