Per aspera ad astra

''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') and "''opta ardua pennis astra sequi''" ('desire to pursue the high hard to reachstars on wings'). 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').

Etymology

''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.

''Astra'' is the accusative plural form of the Latin word ''astrum'' 'star' (from Ancient Greek ἄστρον ''astron'' 'star', from Proto-Indo-European ''*h₂ster-'').

Mottos

''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.

''Ad astra''

* Ad Astra Rocket Company, Webster, Texas, United States
* Motto of Astor family
* Innova Junior College, Singapore
* Presbyterian Ladies' College, Armidale, Australia
* United States Air Force Academy Class of 2007
* United States Coast Guard Academy Class of 1992
* USS ''Taurus'' (PHM-3)
* University College Dublin, member institution of the National University of Ireland
* Downe House School, AGN house motto

''Ad astra per alas porci''

"To the stars on the wings of a pig"
* Motto on John Steinbeck's personal stamp, featuring a figure of the Pigasus. Steinbeck's motto had an error in the Latin and used 'alia' instead of 'alas'.
* Title of Chris Thile's Mandolin Concerto.

''Ad astra per aspera''

"To the stars through difficulties;" "a rough road leads to the stars;" or "Through hardships, to the stars."
* Albury High School in Albury, New South Wales, Australia
* Apollo 1 memorial placed at Launch Complex 34
* Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina
* Immaculate Conception High School in Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica, West Indies
* Kansas (U.S. state motto)
* Morristown-Beard School in Morristown, New Jersey in The Bronx, New York City
* Starfleet, the fictional organization in the Star Trek universe
* Woodville High School, South Australia

''De profundis ad astra''

"From the depths to the stars."
* Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society. The official motto of the world's oldest continually operating science fiction fan social club, founded in 1934.

''Per ardua ad astra''

"Through adversity to the stars" or "Through struggle to the stars."
* Royal Air Force
* Royal Australian Air Force
* Royal Canadian Air Force (prior to 1968)
* Royal Flying Corps
* Royal New Zealand Air Force
* Air Operations Branch of the Canadian Armed Forces
* University of Birmingham

''Per aspera ad astra''

"Through hardships to the stars" or "To the stars through difficulties."
* Coat of arms of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
* South African Air Force
* Stevens Institute of Technology
* Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
* State of Kansas (''Ad astra per aspera'')
* Municipality of Cheribon, Netherlands East Indies
* City of Gouda, The Netherlands

''Per audacia ad astra''

"Through boldness to the stars."
* Bungie

''Quam celerrime ad astra''

"speedily to the stars."
*Chilean Air Force

''Sic itur ad astra''

"Thus one goes to the stars."
* The Philomathean Society, Philadelphia, PA, USA
* The Canongate, Edinburgh
Admiral Collingwood Lodge
Australia
* Richmond, Virginia (city)
* Argentine Air Force, Materiel Command, Argentina
* The Geelong College, Australia
* Canadian Air Force (1920–24)
* Colombian Air Force
* 48 Air School in Woodbridge East London, one of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan facilities in South Africa. Other units had "Ad Unum Ad Astra" and "Per Artem Ad Astra".
* Llandysul Grammar School, Llandysul, Ceredigion, Wales

"Such is the pathway to the stars."
* Canadian Forces Air Command
* Royal Canadian Air Force

"Reach for the stars."
* The Hertfordshire and Essex High School, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England
* Falcon College, Zimbabwe

Other uses

* A related phrase, ''ex astris'' ('from the stars'), is used frequently in NASA publications and in science fiction—see '' Ex astris, scientia''.
* '' Ad Astra'' is a 1976 public artwork by American artist Richard Lippold. Lippold's sculpture is located outside the Jefferson Drive entrance, and in the collection, of the National Air and Space Museum.
* A 1984 computer game, '' Ad Astra'' is an outer space shoot-em-up with a 3-D perspective.
* "Ad Astra" is the title of a William Faulkner short story, found in '' Collected Stories of William Faulkner'' (New York: Vintage International).
* ''Ad Astra'' is the title of a 2019 science fiction film starring Brad Pitt.
* The phrase ''Sic itur ad astra'' was also used in the Netflix television series ''Trese''.
* The phrase ''Ad astra abyssosque'' was used as the motto for the Adventurer's Guild in the game Genshin Impact.

References

External links

History of the RAF motto
(but note that this page misspells ''sic itur'')

{{Aeneid

Latin mottos
Latin words and phrases