The skies above a small town became the stage for an astonishing and unusual spectacle as a large black ring seemed to defy explanation.

But Black people have also found consolation in the night sky. “One of the most heartbreaking things about slavery in the U.S. was people being forced apart,” says astronomer Moiya McTier.

One among those concepts is, “Why does the sky appear blue during the day but space looks pitch black ... responsible for the colours of the sky. Things like dust, water vapour, pollution ...