Leading article: Stars in our eyes
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Today's commentary on the spirit of the age comes with the news that the London Planetarium is to close in favour of a show about celebrity. Indeed: study of the stars up there beyond us is to be replaced by study of the stars down here and always with us.
Tussauds, the Planetarium's operators, say there's no longer the interest. Patrick Moore thinks more could be done to attract trade; one doubts it. The ethereal is currently not as attractive as the attainable. The Egyptians, the Maya and our own Stonehengers were intrigued and guided by the stars. We are more taken with our own powers, perhaps because we've been up there, and, to be honest, found it a bit dull.
Stargazers haven't always had the best press, either. Thales, the philosopher, fell into a well while he was walking along studying the heavens, and was told by the servant girl who pulled him out that it was no use knowing about things up there if you couldn't see what was right in front of you.
Quite. The temptation is to respond with Wilde's over-familiar observation that we're all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars; as it's winter, though, let's be more gloomy, and go for Auden's bleak view that we should look only to ourselves: "The stars are dead ... we are left alone with our day."
Still, it's a bit odd that the Planetarium had its glory days when the wonders of the night sky were available outside the back door, and yet there's less interest now when the only light you can see through the sodium haze is the 22.50 from Tenerife. But that's us, isn't it?
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments