This blog will tell you about Astronomy. First of all, it will discuss the meaning of Astronomy and tell who are Astronomers. Then it will highlight the difference between Astronomy and Astrology. After that it will discuss the main Sub-fields or types of Astronomy. It will also explain the Applications of Astronomy. In the end it will elaborate the main benefits to study Astronomy, so this blog contain Astrology, Definition, Subfields, Application and Benefits of Astronomy in detailed form.
1. Definition of Astronomy:
Astronomy is a branch of science that deals with sky objects, space and the physical universe as a whole so Astronomy is the study of planets, stars and every phenomenon related to space.
It includes a wide range of objects that are found in space.
In common words, astronomy is the study of everything in the universe beyond earth’s atmosphere.
Astronomy is concerned with all the objects that we can see with our naked eye such as planets, stars, sun and moon. It also include the space objects that can only be seen with the help of telescope in the space.
Astronomy is one of the oldest scientific disciplines that has evolved from the humble beginnings of counting stars and charting constellations with the naked eye to the impressive showcase of humankind’s technological capabilities that we see today so this blog will help you understand Astronomy vs Astrology, Subfields of Astronomy and the Benefits.
2. Astronomers:
Astronomer is the scientist that work for and try to understand and interpret the Universe beyond the Earth and the Earth within the atmosphere so he studies planets, stars, galaxies, and other celestial bodies. Astronomers are experts of Astronomy. They use ground-based equipment such as optical telescope, and space-based equipment such as Hubble Space Telescope. They study distant galaxies and mysterious phenomena such as Black hole and Neutron Stars.
3. Astronomy vs Astrology:
Astronomy:
It is the study about everything beyond the universe. Astronomers base their studies on research and observation. Astronomy is earlier than astrology and originally included the senses now distributed over both words. This includes things in our solar system, such as the sun, the moon, and the other planets. It also includes things located very far away in outer space, such as other galaxies, distant stars, and black holes. Astronomy is from 12th century.
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Astrology:
Astrology is the non-scientific practice of using the positions of celestial objects to explain or predict human behavior. It is the belief that the positioning of the stars and planets affect the way events occur on earth. Astrology is based on the belief that the location of certain stars and planets in the sky can predict the future or describe what a person is like. Astrology is from 14th century.
4. Sub-Fields of Astronomy:
There are 4 sub-fields or types of astronomy. They are as follows:
1. Astrophysics:
It is the study of applied physics so in this field we apply laws of physics in the space to know more about space and for experimentation. It is an integral component of Astronomic Activities because physics is applied in many astronomical activities.
2. Astrometry:
It is the study of mapping celestial bodies so Astrometry is a branch of astronomy that involves precise measurements of the positions and movements of stars and other celestial bodies. Movements and positions are considered very much in Astronomy.
3. Astrogeology:
It is the study of examining rocks, terrains and materials in space. Astrogeology is concerned with the geology of the solid bodies in the solar system, such as the asteroids and the planets and their moons. It helps to understand the structure of space objects present in space.
4. Astrobiology:
It is the study about life outside the Earth so this includes searching and knowing if there is any type of life outside the Earth. The search for life beyond the Earth requires an understanding of life, and the nature of the environments that support it.
5. Cosmology:
Although it’s sometimes used to mean astronomy, strictly speaking, cosmology refers to the science of the origin and nature of the universe. The basic concept in cosmology is the Big Bang Theory, the most widely accepted explanation of how the universe began.
6. Galactic Astronomy:
Galactic astronomy refers to the study of our galaxy in detail and depth. Astronomers of this field studies about milky way galaxy while Extragalactic Astronomers study about galaxies outside the milky way galaxy. It is an important field of Astronomy.
7. Stellar Astronomy:
Stellar Astronomy is the study that explains the life cycle of the sun and the stars. It also includes classification and population of Stars in the sky. It concerns with life cycle and classification of the space objects present in space.
8. Planetary Astronomy:
It studies that how the solar system was formed? This answers the central question of astronomy so it focuses on formation, evolution, and death of the planets, moons and other objects in the solar system. It reflects the reasons and processes involved in the formation of space systems.
These are sub-fields or types of Astronomy.
5. Applications of Astronomy:
Astronomy has been continuously innovating and progressing so this has changed our lives by trying new inventions and successfully entering them into our lives. Many gadgets and systems that we are using now are made successful with the help of astronomical missions and activities so even the device that you are using to read this blog, is the result of astronomical experiments and missions. Astronomy has served us in a great way so some of the devices and systems that we use now in our daily life. Some of these are as follows:
Global Positioning System (GPS)
Portable X-ray Machines
Airport security scanners
Satellites
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Energy-efficient Solar Panels etc.
These are few technologies that are widely used in today’s world by almost all the people in the World.
6. Benefits to Study Astronomy:
As we know that Astronomy, is a very beneficial discipline to study. It is because it provide us fundamental concepts of many other related studies such as physics, biology, geology etc. Most of the people gets computer programming experience and statistics while studying Astronomy. This develops many different skills in you and keeps you aware of many other important fields of life. Astronomy is one of the top 10 degrees for starting salaries. Astronomy helps us to understand and know our universe better and it also enhances our sense of exploration by exploring the never ending universes and eternal space. This really fascinates people by beautiful clusters of stars and makes it more interesting when they study about how they are created? what is their life span? and how they move, changes positions and how their systems works every day and through the years.
7. Conclusion:
Astronomy is the study of all the objects outside the universe so this includes study of stars, planets, galaxies and everything in space. This may be about all the things seen with naked eye or with the help of telescope. Astrology is different from astronomy, as it is non-scientific practice of using celestial objects to explain and predict human behavior and life. Astronomy has a great importance and it has been progressing day by day and after reaching the moon, man is going towards mars and trying to visit other planets so Astronomy has provided many of the important devices and positioning systems to humans, that we use commonly in daily life.
It also enhance your sense of exploration as it makes you explore the never ending universe and galaxies with your sense, brain power and visuals. Astronomy is one of top 10 degrees in starting salaries, so there is a great scope of astronomy to choose it as a field. We discussed Astronomy vs Astrology, Subfields and Benefits of Astronomy.
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