Raising our eyes to the starry sky on a warm flying night, each of us thinks - what is it, how it all works and who are we in this universe? Thoughts about the frailty of earthly existence and the immensity of cosmic existence, thoughts about the great and small, that the sky is a black velvet, and the stars are drops of milk, and in the daytime, probably, there will be clouds ... All this is a lyricism, and scientists are looking into the starry sky with a completely different approach. And the results of their research are striking each time more and more. So what does the science of astronomy do? And why is it necessary?
What does Astronomy study?
Astronomy is a science that studies the structure of the universe. 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 such a science, which is designed to explain the incomprehensible phenomena that occur in the universe and explain our lives.
When did Astronomy appear?
We can say that astronomy appeared at the moment when a 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 centuries. Before Christ, people began to study the stars and their movements. With the development of mathematical knowledge and physical researches, the ideas of the man about the Universe were improved. The first astronomical revolution took place in 1500 BC. - Then there was a spherical astronomy, there were exact calendars, and hence astrometry. Priests of Babylon who made astronomical tables, calendars of tribes of Maya, the data kept since times of Ancient China and Ancient Egypt - all it stood at sources of astronomy. For the first time ancient Greek scientists, in particular, Pythagoras, have assumed that the Earth has the form of a ball, Aristarchus of Samos - that the earth rotates around the Sun. The basic achievement of this period is the occurrence of the geocentric theory of the world. The essential contribution to the development of astronomy has brought Galilee.
With the occurrence of telescopes scientists have opened the Milky way, later set of galactic spaces, and since the beginning of 20th-century development of astronomy has gone seven-mile steps. The greatest achievement of modern scientists was the emergence of the theory of the evolution of the universe, according to which it expands over time.
The basis of astronomy is observation
Astronomers cannot do experiments, as physicists, for example, can do. Almost all the information astronomers have about celestial bodies is obtained by electromagnetic radiation.
Observation of the universe is a very complex and time-consuming process that requires attention, regularity, and concentration. Therefore, speaking about the unit of measurement as about meters and kilometers in astronomy is simply impossible.
When studying the solar system, an astronomical unit is used. Methods used in other sciences, such as mathematics and physics, are also widely used in astronomy. Cosmos is the only place where matter can exist at temperatures of hundreds of millions of degrees Celsius and almost absolute zero, in the vacuum void and in neutron stars. Recently, the achievements of astronomy have been used in geology and biology, geography and history.
Astronomy is like a hobby
Astronomy and cosmonautics have always been of interest and attraction to millions of people. Astronomers in the world are not counted as amateurs, often it is thanks to them that many astronomical discoveries have been made. For example, in 2009, the Australian Anthony Wesley, watching Jupiter, found traces of a cosmic body falling on the planet, presumably, it could be a comet.
Through astronomy, we learn the laws of nature and observe the gradual evolution of our world. Astronomy in many ways determines the worldview of people. At the beginning of the XXI century, space topics about galaxies and aliens became popular, unfortunately, very often very incompetent. The interest of journalists, who do not understand the issues of space, 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: beautifully executed graphics and real photographs from space will not leave you indifferent and will help you better understand this interesting science - astronomy.