Sky At Night

Is Astronomy Your Hobby
Michalis 'BIG Mike' Kotzakolios


Defined Tag: Astronomy.

Introduction

‘Astronomy compels the soul to look upwards and leads us from this world to another’ -Plato. The word Astronomy originates from the Greek word astronomia i.e. astron plus nomos, literally meaning ‘law of the stars’. Astronomy is the science, which deals with the origin, evolution, composition, distance, and motion of all bodies and scattered matter in the universe. It includes astrophysics, which discusses the physical properties and structure of all cosmic matter. The study of Astronomy not only offers us futuristic insights but also allows us to walk down the corridors of time, as it unfolds the mysteries of the universe.

Astronomy is a combination of a lot of things. Ever wonder if there is life on other planets? That's astronomy. Have you ever seen a lunar eclipse? That's astronomy too. Anything that's in the deep space and can be studied is a part of astronomy. When you look up at the night sky and are fascinated by all those stars that you see that’s where astronomy starts.

In astronomy, data is mainly collected from the detection and analysis of light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation. Some tools used to study astronomy are: binoculars, telescope, computers and cameras.

Since ancient times, astronomy has contributed considerably to mankind. Our calendar and system of time originated from astronomy. Mathematics was derived from astronomical calculations. Navigational tools developed from astronomy allowed early explorers to ship across the seas and now spacecraft across the solar system. The very first digital computers were built in order to deal with the dilemma arising from astronomy. Satellites providing services that enable cell-phones to cable are applications of the laws of motion and gravity. Even the field of healthcare has been impacted with the introduction of imaging systems invented by astronomers that permit the non-invasive assessment of internal organs.

History

Astronomy is the most ancient of the sciences, having existed since the dawn of recorded civilization. The origin of astronomy dates back to prehistoric times from which no records have survived. Right from the dawn of history we find indications in the oldest written records that astronomical phenomena had captured man's attention.

We wonder what caused the primitive man to raise his eyes from the earth toward the sky above him? Perhaps it was it the beauty of the starry heavens, of the countless radiating points arranged in a wonderful variety of brightness, colors and pattern that caught his eye? The oldest evidence of astronomy as a science is a calendar carved onto a piece of bone found near the Congo river in Africa, dating back to 6500 B.C.

Conclusion

Astronomy is indeed one of the oldest sciences and throughout the ages mankind has been fascinated by the night sky and recording the movements of the heavenly bodies. Living in the space age, we are fortunate to be a part of the generation, which pioneers the exploration of the environment beyond our own planet Earth.

BIG Mike is a well known author, developer and Adsense expert as well as the owner of Niche Maniacs - a unique Adsense Marketing System designed to build long-term passive income streams from Adsense, YPN, Chitika and other PPC services.