(STUDY FINDS) -- LONDON — Not everyone is a stargazer, but a recent survey of 3,000 British adults reveals that more than half didn’t know that our galaxy is referred to as the Milky Way. Perhaps even more shameful: about one in six respondents (17%) thinks our entire galaxy is called “Earth.”
The survey, sponsored by Google Pixel 4, shows astronomy is clearly not a strong suit for many adults these days. One in five respondents believe the sun is a planet, and 68% of Brits have no idea that the first British citizen in space was a woman (Helen Sharman earned the honor in 1991). However, despite all that intergalactic ignorance, the survey also notes that online searches for astrophotography are growing 29% year-over-year.
“We want to inspire people to look up at the night sky more often, because when you do, it’s truly breathtaking,” says Google Pixel 4 product manager Nick Clark in a statement. Clark and his colleagues commissioned the study to emphasize the Pixel’s new “Night Sight” mode, which enables users to take pictures of the night sky, among other low-light subjects.
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