Astronomy

Astronomy (from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek" title="Ancient Greek">Greek</a> <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E1%BC%80%CF%83%CF%84%CF%81%CE%BF%CE%BD%CE%BF%CE%BC%CE%AF%CE%B1#Ancient_Greek" class="extiw" title="wikt:ἀστρονομία">ἀστρονομία</a> from <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E1%BC%84%CF%83%CF%84%CF%81%CE%BF%CE%BD#Ancient_Greek" class="extiw" title="wikt:ἄστρον">ἄστρον</a> astron, "star" and -νομία <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-nomy" class="extiw" title="wikt:-nomy">-nomia</a> from <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CE%BD%CF%8C%CE%BC%CE%BF%CF%82#Ancient_Greek" class="extiw" title="wikt:νόμος">νόμος</a> nomos, "law" or "culture") means "law of the stars" (or "culture of the stars" depending on the translation). Astronomy should not be confused with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrology" title="Astrology">astrology</a>, the belief system which claims that human affairs are correlated with the positions of celestial objects.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomy#cite_note-5">[5]</a> Although the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrology_and_astronomy" title="Astrology and astronomy">two fields</a> share a common origin, they are now entirely distinct.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomy#cite_note-new_cosmos-6">[6]</a>

Astronomy, a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_science" title="Natural science">natural science</a>, is the study of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_object" title="Astronomical object">celestial objects</a> (such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star" title="Star">stars</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy" title="Galaxy">galaxies</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet" title="Planet">planets</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_satellite" title="Natural satellite">moons</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid" title="Asteroid">asteroids</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet" title="Comet">comets</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebula" title="Nebula">nebulae</a>) and processes (such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernova" title="Supernova">supernovae explosions</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma_ray_burst" class="mw-redirect" title="Gamma ray burst">gamma ray bursts</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_microwave_background_radiation" class="mw-redirect" title="Cosmic microwave background radiation">cosmic microwave background radiation</a>), the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics" title="Physics">physics</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemistry" title="Chemistry">chemistry</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_the_Universe" class="mw-redirect" title="Chronology of the Universe">evolution</a> of such objects and processes, and more generally all phenomena that originate outside the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Earth" title="Atmosphere of Earth">atmosphere of Earth</a>. A related but distinct subject, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_cosmology" title="Physical cosmology">physical cosmology</a>, is concerned with studying the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universe" title="Universe">Universe</a> as a whole.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomy#cite_note-1">[1]</a>

Astronomy is the oldest of the natural sciences.

The early civilizations in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recorded_history" title="Recorded history">recorded history</a>, such as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonian_astronomy" title="Babylonian astronomy">Babylonians</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_astronomy" class="mw-redirect" title="Greek astronomy">Greeks</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_astronomy" title="Indian astronomy">Indians</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_astronomy" title="Egyptian astronomy">Egyptians</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nubians" title="Nubians">Nubians</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_peoples" title="Iranian peoples">Iranians</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_astronomy" title="Chinese astronomy">Chinese</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_civilization" title="Maya civilization">Maya</a> performed methodical observations of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_sky" title="Night sky">night sky</a>.

Historically, astronomy has included disciplines as diverse as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrometry" title="Astrometry">astrometry</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celestial_navigation" title="Celestial navigation">celestial navigation</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observational_astronomy" title="Observational astronomy">observational astronomy</a> and the making of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendar" title="Calendar">calendars</a>, but professional astronomy is nowadays often considered to be synonymous with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrophysics" title="Astrophysics">astrophysics</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomy#cite_note-2">[2]</a>

During the 20th century, the field of professional astronomy split into <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observational_astronomy" title="Observational astronomy">observational</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theoretical_astronomy" title="Theoretical astronomy">theoretical</a> branches. Observational astronomy is focused on acquiring data from observations of astronomical objects, which is then analyzed using basic principles of physics. Theoretical astronomy is oriented toward the development of computer or analytical models to describe astronomical objects and phenomena. The two fields complement each other, with theoretical astronomy seeking to explain the observational results and observations being used to confirm theoretical results.

Astronomy is one of the few sciences where amateurs can still play an active role, especially in the discovery and observation of transient <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenomena" class="mw-redirect" title="Phenomena">phenomena</a>. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_astronomy" title="Amateur astronomy">Amateur astronomers</a> have made and contributed to many important astronomical discoveries, such as finding new <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet" title="Comet">comets</a>.

Astronomy

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