The stars have always been a fascinating subject. Perhaps that's one
reason why astronomy is so popular these days.In essence, Astronomy isn't
just about studying stars, as most people think. It's actually a study of
celestial objects, which includes not only stars but also planets, comets
and entire galaxies. In fact, Astronomy also studies different phenomena
that come from outside of the earth's atmosphere, such as auroras and
cosmic background radiation.In addition, Astronomy, is concerned with a
host of other sciences, including physics, evolution, chemistry, how
celestial objects move and how the universe was formed and developed.
Scientists routinely use Astronomy to test some of the most fundamental
theories in physics, such as general relativity. In attempting to explain
astronomical phenomena, astronomy joins hands with astrophysics.Overall,
Astronomy is among the oldest sciences known to mankind. Records show
that there were astronomers dating back to the days of ancient Greece and
India. This is probably where advanced observation techniques originated.
In addition, the scientific history of man shows how many amateur
astronomers have contributed and played an active role in observing and
discovering what is referred to as transient phenomena.With the dawn of
the 20th century, Astronomy was divided into two sciences. These are
observational astronomy and theoretical astrophysics. The first one is
concerned with getting data and this involves building and maintaining a
host of different instruments as well as processing the results of the
data it acquires. There are some who refer to this branch of science as
"astrometry" or simply as "astronomy". On the other hand, theoretical
astrophysics has to do with ascertaining the implications that can be
observed through a computer or through analytical models.There are those
who confuse modern astronomy with astrology but they are two very
different things. Astrology revolves around a belief system that
presupposes that the different positions of celestial objects have a
direct bearing on human affairs. In a nutshell, it is fortune telling
with the aid of the stars. Astronomy and astrology obviously share the
same common origins but most scientists and other knowledgeable observers
know that both fields are clearly distinct.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Astronomy&id=345650