Greetings from space, Lofilovers! Well, alright, we aren’t in space – not yet anyway. But we are gearing up for World Space Week, an annual event that brings together countries from around the world with a mutual passion for space. The universe is truly fascinating and mysterious; we find ourselves constantly drawn to her infinite allure. Growing up in Texas allowed us to take countless trips to the NASA Space Center in Houston, where we were able to pretend, at least for a moment, that we were astronauts.
What is World Space Week?
World Space Week was established by the United Nations in 1999. The week runs from October 4th to 10th each year, and features vital discussions about the future of space exploration, educational seminars, and an overall celebration of science and technology. As all of these areas of study and practice are expanding over time, the mission of WSW is to further promote and educate the importance of space to society at large. Events are held in countries all over the world (96 to be exact), encouraging participation no matter where you live.
Each year there is a theme, which sets the tone for all of the events. Past themes included: “Space for Sustainable Development,” “Remote Sensing – Enabling our Future,” and “Space Unites the World.” This year, the theme is “Satellites Improve Life.” Of course this year things are a bit different with the global pandemic still raging across the world. WSW is offering a plethora of online events that you can participate in, from webinar series, workshops, and observing satellites from home.
What’s the deal with satellites?
The focus on satellites this year is significant because they offer so many wonderful benefits to us here on Earth. Because of satellites, we are able to receive information we would not have had access to otherwise. There is an organization called UNOOSA, which stands for United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, that is hosting a webinar series outlining exactly how satellites improve our lives. More and more satellites are being utilized in our skies, and are looking forward to learning more about how beneficial they can be. We encourage you to watch at least one webinar during WSW to learn more about what is going on above you! There are also some podcast episodes from 2019 featured on the WSW website if you can’t get enough!
Observe the sky from home
Speaking of home observation, we wanted to share with you an app called Star Walk 2. This app allows you to observe the night sky in a really cool way. It identifies stars, planets, comets, satellites, and more. Using your compass as a guide, it allows you to see the objects visible in your own location. It also notifies you of what is coming up, as well as significant movements and events! We have identified so many cool celestial bodies and constellations because of this app and could not recommend it enough. There are many different sky observation apps out there, but this one has the best UI we have seen. It’s beautiful, check it out for yourself!
Space and Movies
Whether you are super into space or not, I think we can all agree that space movies go above and beyond in terms of presenting us with new and imaginative ways to present our experiences with the beyond. 2001: A Space Odyssey was released in 1968 and really gave us this surreal look at space travel and the evolution of mankind. Star Wars (Episode IV – A New Hope) was really the first huge blockbuster to give us a substantial realm outside of Earth, introducing us to life in another galaxy. And in a more down to earth realm, movies like Apollo 13 and Hidden Figures give us insight into real life events that shaped the course of our own history. Not that they are ever truly historically accurate, but it does make for fulfilling entertainment. Watching movies about space is yet another way for us to feel transported into the beyond.
Lost in Lofi
We could truly go on and on about what we are going to call “space culture” all day long. In order to channel our pure and undying love for the vast beyond, we created a tee design called Lost in Lofi. If you too are as interested in space as we are, we suggest you snag this tee and sport this eye popping design 24/7, with the exception of laundry day. There is truly nothing we can’t achieve if we look to the stars and planets beyond!
