‘Why stop at the Moon and Mars; we should shoot for the stars.” This is Hasan Ahmad Al Hariri’s view on space exploration.
The 50-year-old Emirati, who has had a passion for the cosmos since childhood, believes it will happen, and as the head of the Dubai Astronomy Group, he’s in a good position to judge.
“I want to go to the stars; I want our kids to go to the stars. The solar system is not enough for us… we have 200 billion stars in our galaxy. We have to go and explore it,” he says.
Al Hariri admits that at 14 his dream was to become an astronaut. “In the 70s, I was just dreaming to become an astronaut – I want to go to space, and I never gave up on that dream.”
Now a husband and father of six, he recalls getting his first telescope, and the fondness he had for his first space book.
“My grandmother and my father used to talk about stars,” Al Hariri says. “I cannot forget those moments. I am doing the same thing with my children. Whenever I am going stargazing, I am going with them.”
Despite immersing himself in the subject for decades, he still lives and breathes it. “I literally play with astronomy, it is so fascinating. I find myself attached to it, in every aspect.”
But he’s not “playing” alone – the Dubai Astronomy Group now has more than 4,000 members, and will soon have a new observatory centre in Mushrif Park, Dubai. “So join us, because we want to spread astronomy. Come down and walk with us, talk with us,” he says.
The sky’s the limit for Al Hariri and his stargazing disciples. “The road is very clear: we are heading for the stars,” he says. “This is not a fiction; we have to make it a reality and we have to believe in it.”
What’s your favourite colour?
The ocean green colour of the planet Uranus.
What's your most prized possession?
My telescope collection – I have a 16-inch telescope, and of course all of my assets in the office.
Who inspires you?
My father – he’s my role model in every respect. Besides him, I would say Ahmad Ibn Taymiyyah, an Islamic scholar, and Albert Einstein.
What's your favourite holiday destination?
My spiritual holiday destination is Mecca – it’s where I go every five or six years to reset my values.
What's your favourite movie?
Lord of the Rings – all of its elements have me jumping over my feet.
Favourite music?
Music by the film-score composer Vangelis.
What's your advice for young people?
Ask yourself a question of what to become and become it.
What do you do to relax?
I go to the desert, lay down on the sand and look up at the sky.
What's your favourite book?
The Backyard Astronomer's Guide.
What's your favourite space-related entertainment?
Star Wars or BBC documentaries such as Voyager on Saturn/Jupiter.
mhealy@thenational.ae
