Ad astra (phrase)
Ad astra is a Latin phrase meaning "to the stars". The phrase has origins with Virgil, who wrote in his Aeneid: "sic itur ad astra" ('thus one journeys to the stars')[1] and "opta ardua pennis astra sequi" ('desire to pursue the high[/hard to reach] stars on wings').[2] Another origin is Seneca the Younger, who wrote in Hercules: "non est ad astra mollis e terris via" ('there is no easy way from the earth to the stars').[3]
Etymology
Ad is a Latin preposition expressing direction toward in space or time (e.g. ad nauseam, ad infinitum, ad hoc, ad libidem, ad valorem, ad hominem). It is also used as a prefix in Latin word formation.[4]
Astra is the accusative plural form of the Latin word astrum, 'star' (from Greek astron 'a star', derived from PIE root ster-).[5]
Mottos
Ad astra is used as, or as part of, the motto of many organizations, most prominently, air forces. It has also been adopted as a proper name for various unrelated things (publications, bands, games, etc.). It likewise sees general use as a popular Latin tag.
Ad astra
- Ad Astra Rocket Company, Webster, Texas, United States
- Motto of Astor family[6]
- Ad Astra, Short story by William Faulkner
- Innova Junior College, Singapore
- Presbyterian Ladies' College, Armidale, Australia
- United States Air Force Academy Class of 2007[7]
- United States Coast Guard Academy Class of 1992
- USS Taurus (PHM-3)
- University College Dublin, member institution of the National University of Ireland
Ad astra per alas porci
"To the stars on the wings of a pig"
- Motto on John Steinbeck's personal stamp, featuring a figure of the Pigasus[8]
- Title of Chris Thile's Mandolin Concerto.
Ad astra per aspera
"To the stars through difficulties;" "a rough road leads to the stars;" or "Through hardships, to the stars."
- Albury High School in Albury, New South Wales, Australia
- Apollo 1 memorial placed at Launch Complex 34
- Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina
- Immaculate Conception High School in Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica, West Indies
- Kansas (U.S. state)
- Morristown-Beard School in Morristown, New Jersey
- Mount Saint Michael Academy in The Bronx, New York
- Starfleet, the fictional organization in the Star Trek universe
- Woodville High School, South Australia
De profundis ad astra
"From the depths to the stars."
- Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society. The official motto of the world's oldest continually operating science fiction fan social club, founded in 1934.[9]
Per ardua ad astra
"Through adversity to the stars" or "Through struggle to the stars."
Per aspera ad astra
"Through hardships to the stars" or "To the stars through difficulties."
- Queenwood School for Girls, Sydney, Australia
- Saint Patrick's High School, Karachi
- South African Air Force
- Stevens Institute of Technology
Sic itur ad astra
"Thus one goes to the stars."
- The Canongate, Edinburgh
- Admiral Collingwood Lodge, Australia
- Richmond, Virginia (city)
- Argentine Air Force, Materiel Command, Argentina
- The Geelong College, Australia
- Canadian Air Force (1920–24)
- Colombian Air Force
- 48 Air School in Woodbridge East London, one of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan facilities in South Africa. Other units had ”Ad Unum Ad Astra” and ”Per Artem Ad Astra”.
"Such is the pathway to the stars."
- Canadian Forces Air Command
- Royal Canadian Air Force
"Reach for the stars."
Other uses
- A related phrase, ex astris ('from the stars'), is used frequently in NASA publications and in science fiction—see Ex astris, scientia.
- Ad Astra is a 1976 public artwork by American artist Richard Lippold. Lippold's sculpture is located outside the Jefferson Drive entrance, and in the collection, of the National Air and Space Museum.
- A 1984 computer game, Ad Astra is an outer space shoot-em-up with a 3-D perspective.[10]
- "Ad Astra" is the title of a William Faulkner short story, found in Collected Stories of William Faulkner (New York: Vintage International).
- Ad Astra is the title of a 2019 science fiction film starring Brad Pitt.
References
- Virgil, Aeneid IX 641. Spoken by Apollo to Aeneas's young son Iulus.
- Virgil, Aenied XII 892–93. Spoken by Aeneas to his foe, Turnus, in their combat.
- Seneca the Younger, Hercules Furens 437. Spoken by Megara, Hercules' wife.
- Harper, Douglas. "ad". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- Harper, Douglas. "astra". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (1929). Armorial Families: a Directory of Gentleman of Coat-Armour. Hurst & Blackett. p. 58. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
- https://www2.usafa.org/ClassData/Index/2007
- "Pigasus". Steinbeck Center.
- LASFS Coat of Arms
- "Ad Astra". World of Spectrum. Archived from the original on 2012-09-17. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
External links
- History of the RAF motto (but note that this page misspells sic itur)