Astronomy(Greek - star - law) the science of the location, structure, properties, origin, movement and development of cosmic bodies (stars, planets, meteorites, etc.) of the systems formed by them ((star clusters, galaxies, etc.) and the entire Universe as a whole.

Features of astronomy as a science

Like science astronomy based primarily on observations. Unlike physicists, astronomers are deprived of the opportunity to conduct experiments. Almost all information about celestial bodies is brought to us by electromagnetic radiation. Only in the last forty years have individual worlds begun to be studied directly: to probe the atmospheres of planets, to study lunar and Martian soil.

Astronomy is closely connected with other sciences, primarily with physics and mathematics, the methods of which are widely used in it. But astronomy is also an indispensable testing ground on which many physical theories are tested. Space is the only place where matter exists at temperatures of hundreds of millions of degrees and almost at absolute zero, in the void of vacuum and in neutron stars. Recently, the achievements of astronomy have begun to be used in geology and biology, geography and history.
What does astronomy study?

Astronomy studies the Sun and stars, planets and their satellites, comets and meteoroids, nebulae, star systems and the matter that fills the space between the stars and planets, no matter what state this matter is in. By studying the structure and development of celestial bodies, their position and movement in space, astronomy ultimately gives us an idea of ​​the structure and development of the Universe as a whole. The word "astronomy" comes from two Greek words: "astron" - star, luminary and "nomos" - law.

When studying celestial bodies, astronomy sets itself three main tasks that require consistent solutions:

1. The study of the visible, and then the actual positions and movements of celestial bodies in space, determining their sizes and shapes.
2. The study of the physical structure of celestial bodies, i.e. study of the chemical composition and physical conditions (density, temperature, etc.) on the surface and in the interior of celestial bodies.
3. Solving problems of origin and development, i.e. possible further fate of individual celestial bodies and their systems.

The questions of the first problem are solved through long-term observations, begun in ancient times, and also on the basis of the laws of mechanics, known for about 300 years. Therefore, in this area of ​​\u200b\u200bastronomy we have the richest information, especially for celestial bodies relatively close to the Earth.

We know much less about the physical structure of celestial bodies. The solution of some issues belonging to the second task first became possible a little over a hundred years ago, and the main problems only in recent years.
Astronomy Division

More than once, raising our eyes to the night sky, we wondered - what is in this endless space?


The universe is fraught with many secrets and mysteries, but there is a science called astronomy, which has been studying space for many years and trying to explain its origin. What kind of science is this? What do astronomers do and what exactly do they study?

What does the word "astronomy" mean?

The term “astronomy” appeared in Ancient Greece in the 3rd–2nd centuries BC, when such scientists as Pythagoras and Hipparchus shone in the scientific community. The concept is a combination of two ancient Greek words - ἀστήρ (star) and νόμος (law), that is, astronomy is the law of the stars.

This term should not be confused with another concept - astrology, which studies the effects of celestial bodies on the Earth and humans.

What is astronomy?

Astronomy is the science of the Universe that determines the location, structure and formation of celestial bodies. In modern times, it includes several sections:

— astrometry, which studies the location and movement of space objects;

- celestial mechanics - determining the mass and shape of stars, studying the laws of their movement under the influence of gravitational forces;


— theoretical astronomy, within which scientists develop analytical and computer models of celestial bodies and phenomena;

- astrophysics - the study of the chemical and physical properties of space objects.

Separate branches of science are aimed at studying the patterns of the spatial arrangement of stars and planets and considering the evolution of celestial bodies.

In the 20th century, a new section appeared in astronomy called archaeoastronomy, aimed at studying astronomical history and elucidating knowledge of the stars in ancient times.

What does astronomy study?

The subjects of astronomy are the Universe as a whole and all the objects in it - stars, planets, asteroids, comets, galaxies, constellations. Astronomers study interplanetary and interstellar matter, time, black holes, nebulae, and celestial coordinate systems.


In a word, under their close attention is everything related to space and its development, including astronomical instruments, symbols, etc.

When did astronomy appear?

Astronomy is one of the most ancient sciences on Earth. It is impossible to name the exact date of its appearance, but it is well known that people have been studying stars since at least the 6th–4th millennia BC.

Many astronomical tables left by the priests of Babylon, calendars of the Mayan tribes, Ancient Egypt and Ancient China have survived to this day. Ancient Greek scientists made a great contribution to the development of astronomy and the study of celestial bodies. Pythagoras was the first to suggest that our planet is spherical, and Aristarchus of Samos was the first to draw conclusions about its rotation around the Sun.

For a long time, astronomy was associated with astrology, but during the Renaissance it became a separate science. Thanks to the advent of telescopes, scientists were able to discover the Milky Way galaxy, and at the beginning of the 20th century they realized that the Universe consists of many galactic spaces.

The greatest achievement of modern times has been the emergence of the theory of the evolution of the Universe, according to which it expands over time.

What is amateur astronomy?

Amateur astronomy is a hobby in which people who are not associated with scientific and research centers observe space objects. It must be said that such entertainment makes a significant contribution to the overall development of astronomy.


Amateurs have made many interesting and quite important discoveries. In particular, in 1877, Russian observer Evgraf Bykhanov was the first to express modern views on the formation of the Solar System, and in 2009, Australian Anthony Wesley discovered traces of the fall of a cosmic body (presumably a comet) on the planet Jupiter.

For some time, there was no such subject as astronomy in the school curriculum. Now this discipline is included in the mandatory training course. Astronomy begins to be studied in different schools in different ways. Sometimes this discipline first appears in the schedule of seventh-graders, and in some educational institutions it is taught only in the 11th grade. Schoolchildren have a question about why they need to study this subject, astronomy? Let's find out what kind of science this is and how knowledge about space can be useful to us in life?

The concept of the science of astronomy and the subject of its study

Astronomy is the natural science of the Universe. The subject of its study is cosmic phenomena, processes and objects. Thanks to this science we know planets, satellites, comets, asteroids, meteorites. Also, astronomical knowledge gives the concept of space, the location of celestial bodies, their movement and the formation of their systems.

Astronomy is the science that explains the incomprehensible phenomena that form an integral part of our lives.

The origin and development of astronomy

Man's very first ideas about the Universe were very primitive. They were based on religious beliefs. People thought that the Earth was the center of the universe, and that the stars were attached to the solid sky.

In the further development of this science, several stages are distinguished, each of which is called the astronomical revolution.

The first such revolution took place at different times in different regions of the world. The approximate beginning of its implementation is 1500 BC. The cause of the first revolution was the development of mathematical knowledge, and the result was the emergence of spherical astronomy, astrometry and accurate calendars. The main achievement of this period was the emergence of a geocentric theory of the world, which became the result of ancient knowledge.

The second revolution in astronomy took place between the 16th and 17th centuries. It was caused by the rapid development of natural sciences and the emergence of new knowledge about nature. During this period, the laws of physics began to be used to explain astronomical processes and phenomena.

The main achievements of this stage in the development of astronomy are the substantiation of universal gravity, the invention of the optical telescope, the discovery of new planets, asteroids, and the emergence of the first cosmological hypotheses.

Further, the development of space science accelerated. A new technique was invented to aid in astronomical research. The new opportunity to study the chemical composition of celestial bodies confirmed the unity of all outer space.

The third astronomical revolution took place in the 70-90s of the twentieth century. It was due to the progress of technology and technology. At this stage, all-wave, experimental and corpuscular astronomy appears. This means that now all objects in space can be viewed using the electromagnetic waves they emit, corpuscular radiation.

Subsections of astronomy

As we see, astronomy is an ancient science, and in the process of long development it acquired a branched, branch structure. The conceptual basis of classical astronomy consists of three subsections:

In addition to these main sections, there are also:

• astrophysics;
• stellar astronomy;
• cosmogony;
• cosmology.

New trends and modern directions in astronomy

Recently, due to the acceleration of the development of many sciences, progressive branches have begun to appear, engaged in rather specific research in the field of astronomy.

• Gamma-ray astronomy studies cosmic objects by their radiation.
• X-ray astronomy, similar to the previous branch, takes as a basis for research X-rays that come from celestial bodies.

Basic concepts in astronomy

What are the basic concepts of this science? In order for us to study astronomy in depth, we need to become familiar with the basics.

Space is a collection of stars and interstellar space. In essence, this is the Universe.

A planet is a specific celestial body that orbits a star. This name is given only to heavy objects that are capable of acquiring a rounded shape under the influence of their own gravity.

A star is a massive spherical object consisting of gases, within which thermonuclear reactions occur. The closest and most famous star to us is the Sun.

In astronomy, a satellite is a celestial body orbiting an object that is larger in size and held together by gravity. Satellites can be natural - for example the Moon, as well as artificially created by man and launched into orbit to broadcast the necessary information.

A galaxy is a gravitational bundle of stars, their clusters, dust, gas and dark matter. All objects in the galaxy move relative to its center.

A nebula in astronomy is interstellar space that has characteristic radiation and stands out against the general background of the sky. Before the advent of powerful telescopic instruments, galaxies were often confused with nebulae.

Declination in astronomy is a characteristic inherent in every celestial body. This is the name given to one of two coordinates, reflecting the angular distance from the cosmic equator.

Modern terminology of the science of astronomy

The innovative research methods discussed earlier contributed to the emergence of new astronomical terms:

“Exotic” objects are sources of optical, x-ray, radio and gamma radiation in space.

A quasar - in simple words, is a star with strong radiation. Its power can be greater than that of an entire galaxy. We see such an object through a telescope even at a great distance.

A neutron star is the last stage of the evolution of a celestial body. This one has an unimaginable density. For example, the substance that makes up a neutron star, which fits in a teaspoon, will weigh 110 million tons.

Relationship between astronomy and other sciences

Astronomy is a science that is closely related to various knowledge. In her research, she uses the achievements of many industries.

The problem of the distribution of chemical elements and their compounds on Earth and in space is the connecting link between chemistry and astronomy. In addition, scientists are of great interest in studying chemical processes occurring in outer space.

The Earth can be considered as one of the planets of the solar system - this expresses the connection between astronomy and geography and geophysics. The relief of the globe, ongoing climatic and seasonal weather changes, warming, ice ages - to study all these and many other phenomena, geographers use astronomical knowledge.

What became the basis for the origin of life? This is a question common to biology and astronomy. The common works of these two sciences are aimed at solving the dilemma of the emergence of living organisms on planet Earth.

An even closer relationship between astronomy and ecology, which considers the problem of the influence of cosmic processes on the Earth’s biosphere.

Methods of observation in astronomy

The basis for collecting information in astronomy is observation. In what ways can one observe processes and objects in space and what instruments are currently used for these purposes?

With the naked eye we can see several thousand stars in the sky, but sometimes it seems that we see a million or a billion luminous bright points. This spectacle in itself is breathtaking, although with the help of magnifying devices you can see more interesting things.

Even ordinary binoculars with the possibility of eight times magnification give a chance to see a myriad of celestial bodies, and ordinary stars that we see with the naked eye become much brighter. The most interesting object to contemplate with binoculars is the Moon. Even with a slight magnification you can see some craters.

The telescope makes it possible to see not just spots of seas on the Moon. By observing the starry sky using this device, you can study all the features of the relief of the earth's satellite. Also, distant galaxies and nebulae invisible until this moment are revealed to the observer’s gaze.

Contemplating the starry sky through a telescope is not only a very exciting activity, but sometimes it is also quite useful for science. Many astronomical discoveries were made not by research institutes, but by simple amateurs.

The importance of astronomy for individuals and society

Astronomy is an interesting and useful science at the same time. Nowadays, astronomical methods and instruments are used for:

Instead of an afterword

Considering all of the above, no one can doubt the usefulness and necessity of astronomy. This science helps to better understand all aspects of human existence. She gave us knowledge about and opened access to interesting information.

With the help of astronomical research, we can study our planet in more detail, and also gradually move deeper into the Universe to learn more and more about the space around us.

→ What is astronomy?

Raising our eyes to the starry sky on a warm summer night, each of us thinks - what is there, how does it all work and who are we in this Universe? Thoughts about the frailty of earthly existence and the immensity of the cosmic, thoughts about the great and the small, that the sky is black velvet, and the stars are drops of milk, and during the day there will probably be clouds... All this is poetry, and scientists are peering into the starry sky at all with a different approach. And the results of their research are more and more amazing every time. So what is the science of astronomy? And why is it needed?

What does the science of Astronomy study?

Astronomy is a science that studies the structure. It studies the location, movement, physical nature, origin and evolution of celestial bodies and systems. The fundamental properties of the Universe around us are also the subject of astronomy. More specifically, astronomy studies the Sun and other stars, planets and their satellites, black holes, galaxies and nebulae, quasars, asteroids and much more. Astronomy is a science that is designed to explain incomprehensible phenomena occurring in the Universe and explaining our life.

When did Astronomy appear?

We can say that astronomy appeared at the moment when man began to ask himself questions about the structure of our world. The first ideas about the Universe were very primitive, they came from religion. Already from the 6th-4th century. BC. people began to study the stars and their movement. With the development of mathematical knowledge and physical research, man's ideas about the Universe improved. The first astronomical revolution occurred in 1500 BC. - it was then that spherical astronomy arose, accurate calendars appeared, and therefore astrometry. The priests of Babylon, who compiled astronomical tables, calendars of the Mayan tribes, information preserved from the times of Ancient China and Ancient Egypt - all this stood at the origins of astronomy. For the first time, ancient Greek scientists, in particular Pythagoras, suggested that the Earth is spherical, Aristarchus of Samos - that the earth revolves around. The main achievement of this period is the emergence of a geocentric theory of the world. Galileo made a significant contribution to the development of astronomy.

Astronomy as a hobby

Astronomy and cosmonautics have always interested and attracted millions of people. There are countless amateur astronomers in the world; it is often thanks to them that many astronomical discoveries have been made. For example, in 2009, Australian Anthony Wesley, while observing Jupiter, discovered traces of a cosmic body falling onto the planet, presumably it could be a comet.

With the help of astronomy we learn the laws of nature and observe the gradual evolution of our world. Astronomy largely determines people's worldview. At the beginning of the 21st century, space themes about aliens became popular, unfortunately, very often very incompetent. The interest of journalists who do not understand space issues, the opinions of scientists based on unconfirmed facts, make many people believe in pseudoscientific discoveries.

Today, a huge number of high-quality scientific videos about space, various stars, planets and galaxies have been created and are being created: superbly executed graphics and real footage from space will not leave you indifferent and will help you better understand this interesting science - astronomy. You can watch some of these films below.

The science that studies the Universe and is one of the most ancient among humanity is astronomy. This word consists of two Greek words: “nomos” - “law”, and “astron” - “luminary, star”. Taken together, this term can be translated as “the law of the stars.” Astronomy is entire millennia of observations of the sky, when a variety of knowledge is accumulated. It should be noted that compared to other sciences, the level of this science was extremely high already in ancient times.

Then and now

We have known the names of the constellations invariably the same for many tens of centuries. Our distant ancestors knew them all; they knew how to calculate the rising and setting of the Sun, planets, Moon, and all the largest stars long before our era. Moreover, scientists even then knew how to predict solar and lunar eclipses. Astronomy is the main science in the life of ancient man. Hunters used the stars to find their way to home, sailors used the stars to guide their ships on the open ocean. All agricultural work was associated with the established cycle of seasons; time was calculated based on the luminaries and calendars were drawn up. Even astrologers predicted fate from the stars.

Now much of the above is no longer necessary. The course of ships and river floods no longer need to be calculated using an hourglass, because all kinds of technical means have appeared. However, astronomy is a science that cannot have an end to its development. And now all astronautics is based on its foundations; with the help of this science, humanity uses communication systems, television and observes the Earth from Space. Astronomy and mathematics, astronomy and physics are now closely connected; they have common methods of cognition that are widely used.

Two astronomies

The essence of astronomy in ancient times was observation. In this science, experiments are impossible, as in physics or chemistry, since the objects of study are inaccessible to people. But the importance of astronomy in human life today is very great. All information about celestial bodies is now obtained from the received electromagnetic radiation. But in the last few decades, scientists have had the opportunity to study some celestial objects directly - automatic stations probe the atmosphere of nearby planets, and study their soil.

It was this fact that divided astronomy into two main parts - theoretical and observational. The latter aims to obtain data from observations of celestial bodies, which are then analyzed using physics and its basic laws. And astronomer theorists develop computer, mathematical and analytical models with the help of which they describe astronomical phenomena and objects. Need I say that the importance of astronomy as a science for humanity is simply enormous? After all, these two branches do not exist separately on their own, they complement each other. The theory seeks explanations based on the results of observations, and observers confirm or not all hypotheses and theoretical conclusions.

Astronomy as a philosophical science

The definition of science “astronomy” appeared in ancient times and lives happily today. This is the study of the fundamental laws of nature of our world, which is closely connected with the greater cosmos. That is why at first astronomy was interpreted as a philosophical science. With its help, one’s own world is cognized through knowledge of celestial objects - stars, planets, comets, galaxies, as well as those phenomena that every now and then occur outside the earth’s atmosphere - the radiance of the Sun, solar wind, cosmic radiation, and so on.

Even the lexical meaning of the word “astronomy” speaks of the same thing: the law of the stars also applies here on Earth, since it is part of the vast cosmos, which develops according to a single law. It is thanks to him that evolution, physics, chemistry, meteorology and any other science were given to humanity. Everything in the world develops through a certain movement of celestial bodies: galaxies form and develop, stars die and flare up again. One should always remember where every other science began. It is a great misfortune that there is no astronomy in school now. This knowledge and understanding of the enormity and value of the world cannot be replaced by anything.

The twentieth century

So, observational astronomy and theoretical astrophysics constituted a professional science. New instruments for space exploration were constantly being created, in addition to the telescope already invented in time immemorial. The information was collected and processed, then implemented by astrophysicist theorists into the models they created - analytical or computer.

The meaning of the word "astronomy" has acquired enormous weight in all areas of human science, since even the famous theory of relativity is built from the fundamental laws of astronomical physics. And, interestingly, most of the discoveries were made by amateur astronomers. It is one of the very few sciences where people outside the science can participate in observations and collect data for it.

Astronomy and astrology

Modern schoolchildren (and even students) quite often confuse science and a belief system; nevertheless, the lack of relevant lessons in school curricula has an effect. Astrology has long been considered a pseudoscience, which claims that any human undertaking, even the smallest, depends on the position of the luminaries. Of course, these two names come from the same root, but the cognitive systems of both are completely opposite.

Astronomy has allowed man to make a huge leap in understanding the laws of the Universe. This science is completely unknowable; there will always be more questions to which there is no answer than those to which the answer has been found. No matter how many devices are built in space and on Earth, no matter how many world-stunning discoveries are made, this is only a drop in the ocean of knowledge. At the moment, we cannot yet state with certainty either the origin of stellar mass in its entire spectrum, or answer positively or negatively the question about the existence of other life in the Universe. The Fermi paradox is not explained. The nature of darkness is not clear. We know nothing about the time period of the existence of the Universe, as well as about the specific purpose of its existence.

Astronomy and history

Having learned to distinguish stars and planets, ancient astronomers tied this knowledge to transcendence, identifying all known celestial bodies with spirits and gods. Then a dead-end branch of science appeared - astrology, since the movement of all cosmic objects was firmly tied to purely earthly phenomena - the change of seasons, rains, droughts.

Then the Magi (priests, priests and similar cult workers) appeared, who were considered professional astronomers. Many ancient buildings - Chinese temples or Stonehenge, for example, clearly combined two functions - astronomical and religious.

East and West

So much useful was accomplished that ancient knowledge could well serve as the basis for the science that is most flourishing today. Calendars were built according to the movement of the luminaries - the ancient Roman one is still alive. In China, in 2300 BC, an astronomical observatory was already functioning, it is in the picture.

Oracles in China have kept drawings of eclipses and the appearance of new stars for four thousand years. From the sixth century BC there are detailed astronomical observations in records - in China. And in Europe, this whole boom began only in the seventeenth century AD. The Chinese have been absolutely correctly predicting the appearance of comets for many thousands of years. The first star atlas was also made there about six thousand years ago.

Ancient Greece and the Arab world

Europe in the Middle Ages completely and completely stopped all the development of science on its territories, even the Greek discoveries, which in many respects turned out to be correct and made many valuable contributions to the science of astronomy, were anathema. This is precisely why classical antiquity has survived to this day in a very meager number of consolidated records and compilations.

But astronomy flourished in Arab countries, and the priests of the most distant Christian parishes two thousand years ago were able to calculate the exact date of Easter based on the course of the stars. The Arabs translated the works of astronomers of Ancient Greece in large numbers, and it was there that the manuscripts were found by descendants in the depths of surviving libraries. Observatories have been built in Arab countries since the ninth century AD. In Persia, the poet and scientist Omar Khayyam collated a huge number of tables and reformed the calendar, making it more accurate than the Julian and closer to the Gregorian. Constant observations of celestial bodies helped him in this.

Celestial mechanics

Universal gravity became known to the world thanks to Isaac Newton. Today's schoolchildren have heard this name only in connection with the three laws of physics. They are unaware that these laws are closely related to celestial mechanics, since there are no astronomy lessons at school.

It will be a great happiness to know that this essential item is back in service. Scientific Secretary from the Institute of Space Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Zakharov is confident that the existing shortage of astronomy teachers in the country can be quickly replenished if this discipline is returned to the curriculum. The director of the planetarium in Novosibirsk, Sergei Maslikov, is confident that the planned return of astronomy to school can hardly take place earlier than in five to six years. However, the Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation Olga Vasilyeva states that this hour a week for studying the subject of astronomy should be returned to schoolchildren as soon as possible.