Astronomy

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Astronomy is the observation and study of the planets, stars, galaxies, and other visible and invisible objects found in outer space. Astronomy is one of humanity's oldest sciences. It dates to well before the time of recorded history.

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[edit] Astronomy many years ago

The early astronomers were traders and sailors who depended on the stars to guide them at night, and farmers who knew by the rising and setting of certain constellations that planting, flooding, or harvesting times were near. There were also the ancient civilizations who built such places as Stonehenge, and the native North American medicine wheels, for unknown, but probably sacred, reasons. They needed precise knowledge of the phases of the Moon, the northernmost and southernmost seasonal points of the sun, and other information for their purposes.

Other observers believed the future could be predicted by studying where the planets were in the sky when a person was born. Even though the study of stars and planets for this reason is not usually thought of as a science today, these astrologers kept careful records of their observations. These observations were of great importance to astronomers during the past two centuries in trying to make sense of the Universe.

[edit] Being an astronomer

Not only is astronomy a very old science, but it is also one that can be practiced today with no special equipment, or with very cheap equipment. Amateur astronomers have contributed a lot of new and useful information, usually about new asteroids or comets, but sometimes about events such as the birth or death of stars. While some astronomy research does take a great amount of money (for example, a project like the Hubble Space Telescope), good astronomy can be done with a simple pair of binoculars.

In fact, a pair of binoculars is the best tool for a new astronomer. Many new astronomers buy expensive or poorly made telescopes, but do not know how to use them, do not know what they are looking at, and soon become frustrated and go on to another hobby. Amateurs should buy books or charts showing the constellations and the important stars they contain. If they are serious, they will take time to learn and understand the motions of the Earth, the moon, and the planets. They will spend some time working and learning with only their eyes and a simple recording tool such as a notebook.

Binoculars are an excellent tool for a beginner, because they are inexpensive, they do not need to be set up or taken down, they are easy to use, and they let the user see interesting things such as the moon's craters, double stars, many star clusters such as the Pleiades, and the moons of other planets. Binoculars are even better than telescopes for looking at things such as the closer galaxies or very bright comets. After an amateur astronomer has taken some time to learn and understand the night sky, then it is time to buy a telescope.

[edit] Kinds of astronomy

Astronomy has become a very large science in the past few hundred years, and has many branches.

Lunar astronomers study the moon, while planetary astronomers focus their attention on the planets of our Solar System, as well as the planets discovered around other suns. Some astronomers specialize in particular types of stars, such as binary stars or pulsars. Others study distant galaxies.

There are also astronomers who never look at the sky at all. These theoretical astronomers use the laws of physics and mathematics in combination with computers to create models of how the universe behaves, then they compare their models to what is observed. Their goal is to understand and predict the events which happen in the universe, and how the universe was formed.

[edit] Related topics

[edit] See also

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