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]
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 Ancient Greek ἄστρον astron 'star', from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ster-). [5]
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, video games, etc.). It likewise sees general use as a popular Latin tag.
"To the stars on the wings of a pig"
"To the stars through difficulties;" "a rough road leads to the stars;" or "Through hardships, to the stars."
"From the depths to the stars."
"Through adversity to the stars" or "Through struggle to the stars."
"Through hardships to the stars" or "To the stars through difficulties."
"Through boldness to the stars."
"speedily to the stars."
"Thus one goes to the stars."
"Such is the pathway to the stars."
"Reach for the stars."
"From here the way leads to the stars"
Ascanius was a legendary king of Alba Longa and the son of the Trojan hero Aeneas and Creusa, daughter of Priam. He is a significant figure in Roman mythology because of his genealogy: as the son of the Roman founding father Aeneas, himself the son of the goddess Venus and the Trojan prince Anchises, he was regarded as an ancestor of the Roman people. Under his additional name Iulus, he was claimed as the particular ancestor of the gens Iulia, the family of Julius Caesar, and therefore a progenitor of the first line of Roman emperors, the Julio-Claudian dynasty. In some Roman genealogies, he is also made to be an ancestor of Romulus and Remus. Together with his father, he is a major character in Virgil's Aeneid.
The Great Seal of the State of Kansas tells the history of the U.S. state of Kansas.
Plus ultra is a Latin phrase and the national motto of Spain. A reversal of the original phrase non plus ultra, said to have been inscribed as a warning on the Pillars of Hercules at the Strait of Gibraltar, it has metaphorical suggestions of taking risks and striving for excellence. Its original version, the personal motto of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, also Duke of Burgundy and King of Spain, was Plus oultre in French. The motto was adopted some decades after Christopher Columbus traveled to Guanahaní.
Per aspera ad astra is a Latin phrase meaning "through hardships to the stars" and is the motto of many organizations.
The Royal Canadian Air Force is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2020, the Royal Canadian Air Force consists of 12,074 Regular Force and 1,969 Primary Reserve personnel, supported by 1,518 civilians, and operates 258 manned aircraft and nine unmanned aerial vehicles. Lieutenant-General Eric Kenny is the current Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force and Chief of the Air Force Staff.
Andrew Joseph Galambos (AJG) was an astrophysicist and philosopher.
The Philomathean Society of the University of Pennsylvania is a collegiate literary society, the oldest student group at the university, and a claimant to the title of the oldest continuously-existing literary society in the United States, a claim disputed by Columbia University's Philolexian Society, which was established in 1802. Founded in 1813, its goal is "to promote the learning of its members and to increase the academic prestige of the University." Philomathean is derived from the Greek philomath, which means "a lover of learning." The motto of the Philomathean Society is Sic itur ad astra.
Marcin Odlanicki Poczobutt was a Polish–Lithuanian Jesuit, astronomer and mathematician. He was professor of Vilnius University for over 50 years, serving as its rector from 1780 to 1799. The crater Poczobutt on the Moon is named after him, as is the main-belt asteroid 191775 Poczobut. Poczobutt is also the author of the University's motto, Hinc itur ad astra.
Falcon College is an independent boarding school for boys and girls aged 12–18 in the southern Matabeleland region of Zimbabwe. It was founded in 1954 near Essexvale, Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, 55 km southeast of Bulawayo on the remains of the Bushtick Mine. The college's graduates include a British member of parliament, surgeons and doctors, leaders of industry and commerce, soldiers and educators.
Semper Paratus is a Latin phrase, meaning "Always Ready". Sometimes shortened to Semper P. It is used as the official motto of some organizations, such as the United States Coast Guard. A 1928 march of the same name is also used as the U.S. Coast Guard's official march, and the phrase appears on the organization's flag.
The impersonal passive voice is a verb voice that decreases the valency of an intransitive verb to zero.
The "Royal Air Force March Past" is the official march of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and is used in some other Commonwealth air forces, such as the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Ad astra is a Latin phrase meaning "to the stars".
Per ardua ad astra is a Latin phrase meaning "through adversity to the stars" or "through struggle to the stars" that is the official motto of the Royal Air Force and other Commonwealth air forces such as the Royal Australian Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force, as well as the Royal Indian Air Force until 1947. The Royal Canadian Air Force used it until 1968, when it adopted the motto sic itur ad astra, a similar phrase meaning "such is the pathway to the stars". It dates from 1912, when it was adopted by the newly formed Royal Flying Corps.
"Fortune favours the bold" or "fortune favours the brave" are among the English translations of the Latin proverb "audentes Fortuna iuvat" and its variations. The phrase has been widely used as a slogan in the Western world to emphasize the rewards of courage and bravery, particularly within military organizations, and it is also used up to the present day on the coats of arms of numerous families and clans. It has historically served as a popular motto for universities, along with other academic institutions and recreational associations.
Per Aspera Ad Astra is the fourth studio LP by Stars of the Lid, made in collaboration with artist Jon McCafferty and released on Kranky in 1998. McCafferty approached Stars of the Lid with a view towards collaboration after working on a series of paintings inspired by the duo's 1995 debut Music for Nitrous Oxide. The title is a common Latin phrase translatable as "through hardships, to the stars."
The phrase "when pigs fly" is an adynaton—a figure of speech so hyperbolic that it describes an impossibility. The implication of such a phrase is that the circumstances in question will never occur. The phrase has been used in various forms since the 1600s as a sarcastic remark.
St. Joseph's College is a government-aided Catholic school located in Gaborone, Botswana.
Sapiens dominabitur astris is a Latin maxim initially used in astrology, theology, philosophy and literature from the late 13th to late 17th centuries. The phrase has been traditionally attributed to Greco-Roman scientist Ptolemy, but modern scholarship views it as a compilation from two later sources. Presently, the phrase is featured on the emblem of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine.