Ad astra is a Latin phrase meaning "to the stars". The phrase has its origin with Virgil, who wrote sic itur ad astra ("thus you shall go to the stars"; Aeneid book IX, line 641) and opta ardua pennis astra sequi, ("they choose hardship that follow the stars on wings"; book XII, lines 892–893).
Seneca the Younger later wrote non est ad astra mollis e terris via ("there is no easy way from the earth to the stars"). The most renowned phrase by Sene...
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Ad astra is a Latin phrase meaning "to the stars". The phrase has its origin with Virgil, who wrote sic itur ad astra ("thus you shall go to the stars"; Aeneid book IX, line 641) and opta ardua pennis astra sequi, ("they choose hardship that follow the stars on wings"; book XII, lines 892–893).
Seneca the Younger later wrote non est ad astra mollis e terris via ("there is no easy way from the earth to the stars"). The most renowned phrase by Seneca the Younger is "per aspera ad astra" (through difficulties to the stars), which is also the official motto of the State of Kansas, though Kansas uses the variant "Ad astra per aspera".
It is used as, or as part of, the motto of many organizations. It has also been adopted as a proper name for various unrelated things (publications, bands, games, etc.). It also sees general use as a popular Latin tag.
Ardrossan Academy, North Ayrshire, Scotland
A related phrase, ex astris ("from the stars"), is used frequently in NASA publications and in...
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