1. "It all begins with the simple act of looking up. The look skyward is the beginning of quests and questioning, because where our gaze goes, our mind follows." - Donna B. Smith, Vanderbilt University
2. The sky is the greatest show on Earth. Well, above the Earth. And it's FREE! It costs nothing (other than a little time) to look up and feast your eyes upon the view (or, if you are confined indoors, to look out and up).
3. The sky is dynamic and ever-changing. The sky is a piece of classical music; nature composes endless sky symphonies. Can't "hear" the music at night? Perhaps it's because you live in a light-polluted urban area. According to Fred Schaaf, Editor, Sky & Telescope magazine, "Growing up with light pollution is like never being allowed to hear music." Turn up the volume--go to a rural location under a really dark, star-filled sky! Or visit your local planetarium.
4. Many skies are simply spectacular to behold. There is no better way to say it--the sky is often magnificently beautiful! It's pleasing to the eye and stirs the soul.
5. Being aware of the sky gives you a sense of connectedness with Nature. We need to remember that our roots are in Nature. An appropriate metaphor is the difference between rooted and cut flowers--eventually, cut flowers die!
6. Because Chicken Little was right! Well, sort of. The sky is not falling, but sometimes stuff falls from the sky! Like flooding rain. Or lightning. On average, flash flooding and lightning are the number one & two deadliest weather hazards, respectively. Being sky aware can help to minimize the risk of personal injury or property damage. (Monday, 21 May 2001)
7. Look for shapes in the clouds during the day (technically known as nephelococcygia); look for patterns among the stars at night, like the Constellation(s) of the Month. (Tuesday, 22 May 2001)
8. Learn to identify the 10 basic cloud types: cirrus, cirrocumulus, cirrostratus, altocumulus, altostratus, nimbostratus, stratocumulus, stratus, cumulus, and cumulonimbus. It's helpful to have a reference such as the Skywatcher's Cloud Chart that shows pictures of the basic and unusual clouds, with names and descriptions. (Wednesday, 23 May 2001)
9. Look for optical phenomena such as sundogs, halos, coronae, contrails, etc. Watch the sunrise or sunset; ponder why the sky is red (or blue). Observe "Earthshine" on the Moon. Watch a meteor shower. (Thursday, 24 May 2001)
10. Feel "grounded" by looking up. Huh? Yep, if you can locate Polaris, the North Star, then you know your latitude on Earth (in the Northern Hemisphere, the altitude of the North Star equals the latitude of the observer). For an explanation of a simple star-hopping trick that can be used to find Polaris, visit the August Constellation of the Month Web page. (Friday, 25 May 2001)
11. There's more than meets the eye! Using a pair of binoculars or an inexpensive telescope, see phenomena invisible to the unaided eye such as craters on the Moon, the Galilean Moons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, star clusters (e.g., the Pleiades), and the Andromeda Galaxy, to name a few interesting targets. (Bonus Item)
12. "Things are looking up!" "Nothing but blue skies from now on." "The sky's the limit!" "Shoot for the Moon--even if you miss, you will land among the stars." Colorful expressions such as these enrich the language and suggest that good things happen when you look up. Make good things happen in your life--look up more often! (Bonus Item)

Adapted (with permission) from 10 Reasons to Look UP! by Dr. John Day, a.k.a., the "Cloudman."