astronomy

Many people gaze at the moon and the stars having romantic inclinations; there are some who are constantly amazed at how the planets and the universe continuously evolve; and there are those who are left wondering as to what the earth and the universe would be a hundred years from today. We may know and we may never know what the world would actually be a century from now. Fortunately, with the help of astronomy, we are able to not only appreciate the beauty of the stars and the universe but also understand how significant the study of the celestial objects to our lives today.

Astronomy studies everything that is outside the atmosphere of the Earth. This would include the stars, the solar system, the universe, the planets, the comets and the galaxies, along with other phenomena like cosmic background radiation. It scientifically deals with the physics, the evolution, the chemistry, the meteorology and the movement of all celestial objects. It also tackles the formation and the development of the universe.

For many years, astronomy has been and is still considered as one of the oldest and most significant areas of scientific study. Astronomers from the ancient civilizations performed many methodical observations of the sky at night time. There have also been astronomical artifacts that were dug up from earlier periods. After the invention of the telescope, astronomy was developed into a modern science. In the past, astronomy included other disciplines like astrometry, celestial navigation, the making of calendars, observational astronomy and even astrology. However, today, astronomy is almost used synonymously with astrophysics.

Some of the observational and theoretical branches of professional astronomy include: observational astronomy, which concentrates on the gathering and the analysis of data through the use of the basic principles of physics; and theoretical astronomy, which concentrates on the development of various computer and analytical models which are used to describe the different astronomical objects and phenomena. These two branches actually complement each other: theoretical astronomy seeks to clarify the observational results, while observations are used to confirm the theoretical results.

Some of the famous astronomers who have contributed a lot to the study would include:
Galileo Galilei, who made improvements to the design and functionality of the telescope and has been referred to as the “father of modern observational astronomy” and the “father of modern physics”; Hans Lippershey, Jacob Metius and Zacharias Janssen, who developed the telescope; and Nicolaus Copernicus, who was the first astronomer that formulated a comprehensive heliocentric cosmology, stating that Earth was not the center of the universe.

There are many sub-fields in the study of astronomy. The first would be solar astronomy or the study about the suns and its properties and motion. Another would be planetary science, which is the astronomical field that examines the assembly of the moons, the planets, the dwarf planets, the comets, the asteroids and the other heavenly bodies which orbit the sun. Also a sub-field of astronomy, stellar astronomy studies stars and their evolution. Galactic astronomy is also another field of astronomy which studies our own galaxy which is the Milky Way, while extragalactic astronomy studies everything that is outside our galaxy, including the different types of galaxies such as elliptical galaxies, spiral galaxies, irregular galaxies, active galaxies and radio galaxies.

Because of the significance and the popularity of astronomy in our society today, many companies have used some of its concepts in developing their products. Astronomy-lovers can now enjoy buying products and items such as Linux mugs, key rings and mouse pads. Since Linux is one of the most widely used open-source operating systems, there have been a lot of Linux-related products that are being sold in the market. Many product designers have incorporated popular brands and designs into their items, and among those would be Linux and astronomy. Today, gifts such as Linux mousepads (Linux) have various astronomical designs like moons, stars and planets.