Introduction to Astronomy

Astronomy can be enjoyed fully even if you are not a scientist. It is easy to learn the basics and you can use them when stargazing. You can observe the sun, the moon, the planets and the stars in your own backyard.

The study of any body outside the Earth is called astronomy. The stars, planets, the sun, the moon, comets, asteroids and galaxies are examples. The telescope is an astronomer’s most common tool. But you may also make use of other instruments like binoculars, maps and cameras. Telescopes range from small, portable instruments, to giant telescopes on mountaintops, to space telescopes orbiting the Earth.

One of the oldest sciences is astronomy which dates 3000 years ago with the Babylonians. The basis for modern astronomy appeared among Greek scholars between 700 BC and 100 AD. It developed among the Arabic scholars of the Middle East and later among European scholars of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. During the early 17^th century, the invention of the telescope and the observations of the subsequent Scientific Revolution helped bring about the astronomy of today.

There are several branches of study for modern astronomy. There are astronomers who focus on the solar system and observing objects closely for a much detailed study. Some astronomers use mathematics and physics to learn about the structure of distant stars and galaxies. It even deals with the structure and age of the universe. Many amateur astronomers study of these same objects in space, but they  do not use as much physics and math in the process.