Poets, common people, children and adults alike, we all wonder at the beauty of the night sky once in a while.

There is a historical, cultural and religious meaning to the picture mankind has created about the night sky throughout thousands of years of history. Most ancient civilizations focused on the study of the sky map and planned their lives and activities respecting the cult of the asters: testimonies about the importance of constellations, stars and celestial bodies are constantly brought by the calenders, the astronomic sites, the cults of the sun and even the myths and legends. And all these start with the belief that Earth is connected by invisible links with the rest of the bodies in the universe. Modern man is no longer paying that much attention to the night sky.

Presently we have other means to study the night sky and different purposes in mind: we are looking for scientific evidence to explain UFO events and life on other planets speculations, we now admire major cosmic events through huge telescopes that get to peek in the inner life of the galaxy or we simply feel fascinated by the beauty of the high spheres. Depending on the time of the year when one watches the night sky, different constellations are visible as the Earth orbits around the sun. The map of the night sky as we see it today was first envisaged by the Greek who actually gave the name to many of the constellations.

A major factor that prevents the proper observation of the night sky is pollution. One thing is for sure, a large metropolis with lots of industrial activity and plenty of cars running permanently make a lousy astronomy observation spot. Many people claim to have seen the most beautiful of night sky panoramas in the mountains, where the altitude increases panorama viewing because of the rarer atmosphere. The purer the air, the higher the visibility of the night sky. For people who have astronomy as a hobby, the study of the constellations with the help of various softwares and private telescopes is really fun.

One other dimension of the sky night study is the creation of the personal horoscope and the study of the zodiac signs. Every sign of the zodiac corresponds to a constellation, and the study of the sun and earth moves as well as the position of the planets and the stars in the night sky influence the zodiac. This is in fact the astrological explanation why people born under the same sign share a set of similarities. All in all, the fascination the night sky has on mankind transgresses curiosity, scientific interest and mythological explanations, there is simply something more than that.