tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13125380101261585372023-11-15T08:55:07.842-08:00Astronomy HubHistory of Astronomy, Astronomy Observation,Study of Astronomy,Astronomy in India,Theoretical astronomy,Astronomy in world,Types of astronomy,Branches of Astronomy,Astronomical Studies,Astronomical Text books,Astronomical MagzinesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1312538010126158537.post-57268029314219885702009-03-20T08:24:00.000-07:002009-03-20T08:25:23.091-07:00Astrology : A Science or Superstition?<div id="body"><p><a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human" title="Human" rel="wikipedia">Human beings</a> have always been curious to know their future. Whenever someone is in difficulty and cannot easily come out of it, he wants to know whether the days of his misery will come to an end at all. And if yes, then when? When one invests a great deal of time, effort or money into some project, it is natural to wonder whether that investment will bear some fruit. There have always been people around who have successfully predicted future events. Their methods have been different - some people can simply look into the future, some use tarot cards, some draw up an <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrology" title="Astrology" rel="wikipedia">astrological</a> chart which we call horoscopes, some read the lines in the palms of people. One cannot deny that future has been accurately predicted many a times and by many a people. Each successful prediction proves that it is indeed possible to correctly predict future.</p><p>In the ancient times, astrologers were held to be in great esteem by the people. There was no difference between astronomers and astrologers. In fact, astronomy and Astrology were not considered to be two different subjects. Many will be surprised to know that most of the renowned scientists of the past, including <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton" title="Isaac Newton" rel="wikipedia">Sir Isaac Newton</a>, were astrologers too. In <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_India" title="History of India" rel="wikipedia">ancient India</a> Astrology was known as "<a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jyoti%E1%B9%A3a" title="Jyotiṣa" rel="wikipedia">Jyotish</a> Shastra" which included predictive Astrology as well as what we know as astronomy. Needless to say that the astrologers of that era were all great mathematicians too. An accomplished astrologer was called "Trikal-darshee" : one who could see past, present and future. It would perhaps not be an exaggeration to say that Astrology was considered to be the foremost branch of science.</p><p>Slowly over a period of time this subject came into disrepute.</p><p>How Astrology lost its exalted status?</p><p>It is a fact of life that people emulate successful, popular and respected persons. Seeing the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_status" title="Social status" rel="wikipedia">social status</a> enjoyed by astrologers, charlatans started masquerading as astrologers. They learnt a few tricks of the trade and started duping gullible people. It was and still is a very lucrative business. An astrologer earns money by making <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prediction" title="Prediction" rel="wikipedia">predictions</a> while giving no guarantee that any of his predictions will turn out to be true. There is no money back guarantee :-). Once an astrologer sets up shop, people start coming to him in the hope that may be he will be able to foresee their future correctly. The astrologer is in a wonderful position. For example, he may make predictions about ten persons, getting only one prediction right. The nine persons, about whom he predicted wrongly, will never come back to him. But the tenth person, about which the astrologer was able to predict correctly, will not only come back to him again but also refer many other persons to him, citing personal experience. In this way, the business of an astrologer always flourishes, no matter how he himself fares in his trade. But the downside of this was that astrologers, as a group, started being seen as a lot of dubious persons like politicians of the modern age. Once such impression started gaining ground, Astrology as a subject no longer remained attractive to intelligent persons. People, who had talent, started to pursue other fields of knowledge. Over a period of time, the inevitable happened. No talent, worth its salt, chose to pursue Astrology as a vocation or a hobby and the outcome of this is for everyone to see in the present times.</p><p>There was one more very important reason for Astrology becoming one of the lesser fields of knowledge. It was the decline of India, the fountainhead of human civilization, and its loss of status as the repository of all the knowledge of the ancient world (see How India lost its Glory). The Islamic hordes, who attacked and looted India many a times and later ruled that <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=21.0,78.0&spn=10.0,10.0&q=21.0,78.0%20%28India%29&t=h" title="India" rel="geolocation">country</a> for hundred of years, had no respect for priceless works of art, the magnificent architecture and the other exalted areas of human endeavor. They destroyed most of the ancient temples, burnt down libraries like Nalanda and Takshshila and permanently took away innumerable books of infinite wisdom from the future generations of humanity. A great amount of recorded knowledge was lost, astrological books included. This loss proved to be irreparable, as the then Indian society became engaged in ensuring its survival and a constant struggle against the aggressors. The few people, who had some invaluable texts and scriptures with them, were hard put to preserve the remaining works of ancient sages. That is why, when one studies Astrology , he feels as if some vital links are missing. With the Hindu <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_philosophy" title="Hindu philosophy" rel="wikipedia">philosophy</a> losing its ground it was natural that Astrology would lose its prominent place too. As the modern science developed and the scientific temperament gained ground, with the dearth of genuine astrologers, Astrology started fading into oblivion.</p><p>The criticism and The defense</p><p>Astrology is scoffed at by people for two main reasons. First, of course, is that the predictions made by astrologers often goes wrong. Secondly, if one takes his horoscope to different astrologers, they make different predictions. They even make different horoscopes given the same set of data regarding the birth of a person. These facts force people conclude that Astrology is not a science and that it is only a means to befool people for the astrologers' benefit.</p><p>One cannot deny that the reasons cited above are valid. Nonetheless, there is some element of prejudice against Astrology which also plays some part in the denigration of this science. Let us take an example to illustrate this point.</p><p>A man falls sick due to some disease. He goes to his neighborhood doctor. The doctor advises him to go for some tests. After seeing the results of those tests and considering the patient's symptoms, the doctor concludes that the man has contracted some particular disease say, Sickosis :-). He prescribes some medicines and the patient goes home in the hope of getting rid of the sickness as soon as possible. After taking the medicines for next two days, the patient finds that the medicines are not working the way they were supposed to work. He goes back to the doctor and the doctor changes the medicines and the person starts responding to the second set of medication immediately. Within a few days, the person is back to his old healthy self.</p><p>What would have happened if the person had not responded to that second set of medicines? Most probably he would have gone to another doctor. That doctor would have advised him to go for more tests, diagnosed his problem as per his own knowledge and experience and treated him accordingly. Again, there would have been the same probability of the patient getting rid of his disease.</p><p>So, in the end it boils down to problem of correct diagnosis. As soon as the disease is identified correctly, it can be treated successfully. The doctor's problem is to identify the disease correctly, given the symptoms and the results of the tests conducted. In fact, he guesses the disease based on the symptoms the patient displays and to confirm his suspicions the doctor asks the patient to undergo a particular set of tests. If the doctor's first guess is proved wrong, he suggests another set of tests to the patient aimed at confirming his second best guess of the disease.</p><p>There is one more element which may mar the chances of the patient getting better: the test results. If the lab conducting those tests makes a mistake, the doctor is bound to be misled by the results. It has also been observed many a times that even with the same symptoms and the same set of test results, different doctors may diagnose the problem differently.</p><p>The same thing, when happening in the context of Astrology , is proffered as a proof that it is not a science. When a doctor makes a mistake, his skills are blamed not the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicine" title="Medicine" rel="wikipedia">Medical Science</a>. But if an astrologer fails, it is Astrology which is considered a pseudo-science. If doctors can arrive at different conclusions on the basis of same data, why astrologers should not be allowed to differ with each other. If you take the blood samples of the same patient to different labs, you are almost certain to find differences in their findings. If the machines built with all our scientific knowledge at our disposal make mistakes, no one denigrates modern science itself. But when it comes to Astrology, people are only too ready to dismiss it. Perhaps, by doing this, people want to prove that they have, what is called, scientific temperament.</p><p>Why Astrologers go wrong in their prediction?</p><p>Lack of knowledge: This is perhaps the foremost reason. Most of the astrologers, after learning a bit, find it difficult to resist the temptation to start making predictions. A certain percentage of their predictions do turn out to be true since they have learnt a little bit of Astrology after all. They cannot hold themselves back from showing off their half baked knowledge. Another reason if the temptation to start reaping, as soon as possible, the fruits of their efforts made in learning the subject. Once the customers start flocking to them, they lose the urge to keep learning further. Also, they are left with little spare time to make further efforts to learn more. They get too busy duping people.</p><p>Lack of Talent: In the modern times, since the pursuit of this subject is not considered very respectable, persons of genius do not take up the study of Astrology. They would rather prefer to become scientists, engineers, doctors, littérateurs, artists etc. This does not help the development of Astrology nor does it help add to the knowledge or find the missing links in this subject. Currently, there are no serious research projects related to this field. Thus this base of knowledge does not get updated.</p><p>Incorrect Data: As the very basis of Astrology is mathematical, the data such as time of birth etc. must be accurate. If this data is incorrect, the horoscope and consequently the interpretation of it is bound to be faulty. The position of cusps, house divisions, and the planetary positions at any given moment needs to be accurate too. The numerous ephemeris differ from each other so much that it seems incredible. One must follow the most accurate data (for example, from NASA) for calculations, in this age of science. Normally, astrologers tend to take the easy route, that of following some ready-reckoner sort of things, leading to inaccuracies in their calculations.</p><p>Destiny of the subject: It may so happen that the fate of the person who wants his future read, does not favor the person in knowing his future. This idea may seem far fetched but it is not. Even in modern times, with all the development of medical science, patients keep dying of fully treatable diseases. If a person is destined to die of pneumonia, he will in spite of the fact that millions of people around the world are successfully treated for it every year. If fate can play a role here why cannot it play the same role regarding Astrology.</p><p>The very nature of Future: Modern science divides the universe in two parts: known and the unknown. It is believed that whatever is unknown today, will become known tomorrow. Over a period of time, every thing will become known one day. But the enlightened sages have said that certain aspects of the existence is unknowable. These things do not belong in the domain of human knowledge. Certain aspects of future also belongs to the same domain.</p><p>Anyone, who will study Astrology with an open mind, cannot dismiss it as something without merit. It is an easy task for astrologers to correctly tell certain things about a man, such as his physical characteristics, diseases he is likely to get afflicted with, his temperament, his overall success in life in terms of money he earns or fame he achieves, the nature of his profession etc., simply by looking at his correctly drawn horoscope. It is in the matters of details and the timing of events that astrologers tend to go awry. What is needed is a fresh approach to the subject. Brilliant minds should take it up for study, correct some anomalies and misconceptions which this science has acquired over the long past. Then only this subject can regain its rightful place as a serious and important branch of knowledge.</p></div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top"><div id="sig" class="sig"><p>Ashok Kumar Gupta</p><div><p>Article Source: <a id="link_111" href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ashok_Kumar_Gupta">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ashok_Kumar_Gupta</a></p></div></div></td><td><br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <div style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;" class="zemanta-pixie"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/2e10f93d-ee5d-4e9d-a625-191720600309/" title="Zemified by Zemanta"><img style="border: medium none ; float: right;" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=2e10f93d-ee5d-4e9d-a625-191720600309" alt="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]" /></a><span class="zem-script more-related"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js" defer="defer"></script></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1312538010126158537.post-68588105168131750742008-03-08T23:14:00.000-08:002008-03-08T23:16:30.492-08:00Astronomy MagazinesWould you like to find out what those-in-the-know have to say about Astronomy Magazines ? The information in the article below comes straight from well-informed experts with special knowledge about Astronomy Magazines . <br /><br />It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of Astronomy Magazines is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about Astronomy Magazines . <br /><br />Astronomy is the study of space and celestial bodies. In the ancient days the lack of scientific instruments prevented in depth study on this subject. Astronomers and scientists solely relied on mathematical calculations and star gazing. The discovery of telescope changed the scene. It became easier to observe the night sky. Slowly but steadily astronomy became an important branch of science. Scientists found it important to note down their findings, theories and observations. Later the invention of printing press led to wide publication of Astronomy Magazines. They are quite popular now. Scientists voice their opinion through them. <br /><br /> <br /> <br /><br />There are of many kinds of Astronomy Magazines that are available to the interested ones. Most of the magazines are published by space centers or astronomy institutes. Many countries like the USA, the UK, Russia and India have astronomy centers that publish such magazines. They inform us about the works of scientists, new discoveries and missions to space. <br /><br />Magazines on Astronomy are informative and exciting to read. The latest discoveries and inventions of space equipments can also be known from these magazines. Magazines of Astronomy Studies contain articles by noted astronomers and scientists. They also have photographs of stars, photographs of various constellations and other magnificent space phenomena. <br /><br /><br /><br />In these magazines readers will find articles on various aspects of astronomy. Get updated news and information on the latest telescopes, special shows at various museums, seminars and workshops. The college and university magazines on Astronomy publish the experiments and findings of the students and the lectures that are given by special guests. The Astronomy Magazines are so popular mainly because of the photographs that are published in them. The never before seen photographs of space taken from satellites tell us a lot about the space and various planets. <br /><br />Magazines on Astronomy are available on all news-stands while some are only for private distribution. The magazines about astronomy that are on sale are as follows: <br /><br />Ad Astra <br />Astronomy Magazine <br />Sky and Telescope <br />Sky News <br />Amateur Astronomy Magazine <br />Akashmitra <br /><br />These magazines give a glimpse of space and increases our knowledge on the recent and upcoming events. The publication of these magazines are eagerly waited by amateurs and professional astronomers.<br /> <br /><br />Is there really any information about Astronomy Magazines that is nonessential? We all see things from different angles, so something relatively insignificant to one may be crucial to another.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1312538010126158537.post-73309543073565759812008-02-18T22:05:00.000-08:002008-02-18T22:06:14.355-08:00Planetary Science & AstronomyThe following paragraphs summarize the work of Planetary Science experts who are completely familiar with all the aspects of Planetary Science. Heed their advice to avoid any Planetary Science surprises. <br /><br />The information about Planetary Science presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about Planetary Science or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes. <br /><br />Planetary science is the study of planets and planetary systems. It is an interdisciplinary approach which consists of facts derived from diverse sciences. There are diverse forms of astronomy and different branches. Among the various disciplines, planetary science is an important science. It is also considered as planetology and related to scientific study of planets.<br /><br />Planetary science or better known as planetology is basically related to the planetary astronomy and is considered to be the science which deals with planets or planetary systems and also the solar system. In order to understand the planetary system one need to incorporate non-stellar objects such as asteroids, comets, moons, cosmic dust, planets, and meteoroids. The science of planets also encompasses the solar system and the sun.<br /><br /><br />Planetary science is known to draw information from diverse branches of science. It explains broadly the working of the planetary system and the solar system as a whole. It is considered as a major part of the Earth sciences. This Earth science concerns mostly about the scientific terms associated to the planet Earth.<br /><br />The term “Earth Sciences” is also referred to as geosciences, and it encompasses geography, chemistry, meteorology, physics, biology, and geology to come up with an exact understanding of the Earth system. Research in the field of planetary science is carried out with the help of astronomy, space exploration and experimental as well as meteorite work based on earth.<br /><br />The main focus of planetary science is to study the planets, their evolution, activity and processes taking place inside the planets and their varied forms. The science has been covering major phenomenon that has taken place in these planets. It studies varied objects that range in different size. From micrometeoroids to gas giants and their forms, evolution, emergence and dynamics-all the major aspects of these cosmic sources are dealt in planetary science.<br /><br />In case of the space exploration, the robotic spacecraft missions are primarily incorporated in the planetary sciences. The robotic spacecraft provides perfect scientific research measurements. Thus they contribute to the planetary science subject to be as impeccable as possible.<br /><br />The usage of computer simulation can be seen in the theoretical context. Astrogeology, also referred to as planetary geology is a major part of planetary science. This stream of planetary science deals only with the geology of the celestial bodies, namely comets, planets, meteorites, moons and asteroids. The subject, planetary science has always been popular for studying objects of all sizes, their history, dynamics and compositions. <br /><br />Don't limit yourself by refusing to learn the details about Planetary Science. The more you know, the easier it will be to focus on what's important.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1312538010126158537.post-39533729910770712392008-02-07T02:56:00.000-08:002008-02-07T03:01:14.539-08:00Ultraviolet astronomy-Definition and some factsIf you are curious to know about Ultraviolet astronomy, then go through the following article on ultraviolet astronomy. <br /><br />Astronomy is one of the oldest science. Astronomy is the name of a unique scientific study of celestial objects like stars, planets and galaxies and the atmosphere in space. In early days people used to study motion of celestial objects in space by observing night sky from mountain tops, high buildings and trees. They gradually started studying the movement of sun, moon and stars in the sky and thought that the sun rotates around the earth. Later, Italian scientist Galileo observed the space and solar system through a telescope and proved the idea wrong and clarified that the earth in itself rotates around the sun.<br />Thus observational or optical astronomy appeared as a new concept. Over the centuries, astronomy has become a very sophisticated scientific study and has become diverse. Observing celestial objects in the sky is no more the only definition of astronomy. With the passage of time scientists have discovered that apart from light and optical radiations, celestial objects emit electromagnetic, infrared and ultraviolet rays also. The wing of astronomy which deals with observations at ultraviolet radiation from objects is known as ultraviolet astronomy.<br /><br />The main aim of ultraviolet astronomy is to study objects that are within ultraviolet wavelengths ranging between 100 to 3200 A. as light of these wavelengths are absorbed by the atmosphere of the earth, observations of these wavelengths are performed from upper atmosphere or space. With the help of ultraviolet line spectrum measurements, densities, chemical composition and temperature of the interstellar medium and the temperature and composition of young stars can be observed. But apart from that ultraviolet astronomy can also provide information regarding the evolution of galaxies. <br /><br />Now you can understand why there's a growing interest in Ultraviolet astronomy. When people start looking for more information about Ultraviolet astronomy, you'll be in a position to meet their needs.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1312538010126158537.post-48266690059785454632008-02-03T22:47:00.000-08:002008-02-03T22:53:12.395-08:00What is Optical astronomy?Astronomy is one of the greatest things to be invented by scientists. Long time back from today even before the birth of Jesus Christ scientists starts studying the atmosphere in outer space and motion of celestial objects in the solar system and galaxy. By observing night sky through naked eyes, scientists of medieval used to make calendars and calculate the size and distance of sun and moon from the earth. Numerous theories about the cosmos and solar system were created by scientists and with the invention of telescope some of the ideas were proved to be wrong. The use of telescope made observing the sky and outer space for people.<br /><br />Today the concept of astronomy has changed a bit. Astronomy is no more confined within observing outer space only through telescope but electromagnetic radiation and infrared radiation detectors are also used by astronomers for better study of of celestial objects. However, observational astronomy of optical astronomy is still the most important part of this wonderful scientific study.<br /><br />Optical astronomy is the oldest forms of astronomical observation and its main aim is to observe wide variety of things in the outer space through telescope. Optical astronomy includes observations of objects that are within the range of light and that is why visible light astronomy is the other name of optical astronomy. Different wings of physics like imaging, spectroscopy, polarimetry and photometry are important parts of optical astronomy.<br /><br /><br />Photometry is used to measure the amount of light coming from an object and spectroscopy is used to measure the distribution of light with respect tom its wave length. Polarimetry is needed to measure polarization of the state of light coming from an object. On the other hand, optical astronomy is also deeply inter-related with infrared astronomy and that's why instruments like solid state digital detectors, lenses and mirrors are used for studying celestial objects.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1312538010126158537.post-32270461429930496832008-02-01T01:09:00.000-08:002008-02-01T01:15:57.519-08:00What is Infrared astronomy?Would you like to find out what those-in-the-know have to say about Infrared astronomy? The information in the article below comes straight from well-informed experts with special knowledge about Infrared astronomy. <br /><br />It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of Infrared astronomy is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about Infrared astronomy. <br /><br />Astronomy is one of the most unique branches of scientific studies that deals with the atmosphere and movement of celestial objects in outer space. It is one of the oldest science invented by the scientists and also one of the most interesting. Observing stars, planets and galaxies in the solar system, calculating size and distance of sun and moon from the earth, calculating the time of solar ans lunar eclipse are some of the most important part of astronomy. With the advancement of science and technology, scientists came to know a lot of things about the outer space and the celestial objects.<br /><br /><br />Slowly scientists came to know that celestial objects emit electromagnetic radiations with the help of radio astronomy. Similarly, infrared astronomy proved that all objects in the universe emit infrared radiation.<br /><br />Though it dates back to more than two centuries, infrared astronomy is one of the modern wings of astronomy. Infrared astronomy was invented in the year 1800, when a scientist named William Herschel discovered that red and yellow were the hottest part of the band of light that was observed through the prism and also found that the two 'heat rays' were displaying some spectral lines. Later in the year 1856, infrared radiations were also detected in moon light by Charles Piazzi Smyth.<br /><br />Basically infrared astronomy deals with study and detection of infrared radiation or heat energy that was emitted from all objects. Infrared detectors are used for detecting radiations of wavelengths of about 1 and 300 microns. With the invention of infrared astronomy, detecting and studying objects hidden by gas and dust has become possible for scientists, because infrared radiations with longer wavelength than visible light can easily pass through regions that are covered by dust and gas. With the help of infrared radiation, scientist are now able to study objects hidden in regions like the center of galaxy and newly forming stars.<br /><br />As things like lenses, mirrors and solid state digital detectors are used, infrared astronomy is considered as a part of optical astronomy and astrophysics by scientists.<br /><br />Sometimes it's tough to sort out all the details related to this subject, but I'm positive you'll have no trouble making sense of the information presented above on infrared astronomy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1312538010126158537.post-88249202431991521432008-01-30T01:31:00.000-08:002008-01-30T01:32:15.889-08:00What is Radio Astronomy?Astronomy is one of the most amazing things discovered by scientists. Invented long time back, astronomy is a very interesting wing of scientific studies that deals with the atmosphere in outer space, movement of planets, galaxies and stars in the solar system and giving prediction on the good or ill effect of those movements. People in medieval age used to observe the night sky with naked eyes. Slowly the invention of telescope took place astronomical observations became easier. People slowly learned about the cosmos and solar system and came to know about the planets and other celestial objects.<br /><br /><br />By looking through the lens of telescope people got an idea about the shape and look of planets. But after a long long time, scientists observed that the celestial objects in outer space emit radio waves and thus they started working on it and thus radio astronomy became an important wing of astronomical observations.<br /><br />The main aim of radio astronomy is to catch the wave length of radio waves emitted by celestial objects and studying them to acquire data about the atmosphere in outer space. By using different techniques that are similar to optical astronomy, scientists discovered that not only radio waves but most of the celestial objects in outer space emit optical waves also. The telescopes used for radio astronomy are larger in size than that used in observational astronomy for observing longer wave lengths.<br /><br />It was in the year 1860, that some equations by James Clerk Maxwell showed that there was a high possibility of existence of electromagnetic radiations from stellar sources with any wavelength. Some of the most renowned scientists of that time such as Oliver Lodge, Max Planck and Thomas Edison worked on radio astronomy for some time and agreed on one point that is was the sun that was emiting electromagnetic or radio waves. The first astronomical radio source was identified in the early 1930s, when an engineer named Guthe Jansky was working in Bell Telephone Laboratories. Jansky used a large directional antenna and observed that his analog pen-and-paper recording system was continuously recording some unknown signal.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1312538010126158537.post-20829710978601611642008-01-30T01:28:00.000-08:002008-01-30T01:29:57.139-08:00What is Observational astronomy?Among all kind of scientific discoveries and inventions made by people on this earth, astronomy is one of the greatest. Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences in this earth and dates back to the period before Jesus Christ. People started observing the night sky from trees , high grounds and tall buildings and at one point of time scientist Copernicus came to a conclusion that the sun revolve around the earth. After some time the theory of Copernicus was proved wrong by Italian scientist, Galileo and he clarified that its is not the sun that rotates around the earth, but it is the earth that rotates around the sun. In early days, people used to observe night sky by naked eyes and slowly they discovered telescope.<br /><br />With the advancement of science of technology, the concept of technology has changed a lot. Different types of astronomy are now practiced by scientists, but observational astronomy is still the most important part of this wonderful scientific study.<br /><br />Observational astronomy is the oldest form of astronomy and it mainly deals with regular observation of movement of celestial objects and predicting the effect of such movement. Prediction of lunar and solar eclipse is totally dependent on observational astronomy. High-powered telescopes and various astronomical apparatus are used in observational astronomy to acquire accurate data about movement of celestial objects. Astrophysics is also an important part of observational astronomy.<br /><br />Data that are observed through telescopes and astronomical apparatus are recorded and plotted in graphs and studying those graphs scientists draw conclusion about things that are going to happen in the space and solar system. Italian Galileo was the first person in the earth to record data that he observed through his telescope.<br /><br />Observational Astronomy<br /> <br /># Radio astronomy<br /># Infrared astronomy<br /># Optical astronomy<br /># Ultraviolet astronomy<br /># X-ray astronomy<br /># Gamma-ray astronomyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1312538010126158537.post-7324027034045866872008-01-30T01:26:00.000-08:002008-01-30T01:27:10.580-08:00Types of AstronomyAstronomy is one of the oldest sciences in the world and also one of the greatest scientific inventions by human being. Astronomy is a wonderful scientific study that let us know about the atmosphere in outer space and movement of planets and galaxies in the solar system. Astronomy was invented by people even before the birth of Jesus Christ and at that time people used to observe night sky with naked eyes from tall buildings, trees and high grounds. Slowly the concept of astronomy was developed and slowly people invented telescope. In its early days, observation and prediction of movement of celestial objects were the main parts of astronomy but with the advancement of science and technology, the scope of working on astronomy has been broadened significantly. Scientists around the world now practice different types of astronomy.<br /><br />Apart from observation and prediction on movement of celestial objects, astronomy now focuses on various things. Telescope was the only astronomical instrument used by scientists in old days but now various instruments and technologies are used in different types of astronomy. With the use of various instruments and technologies people has gradually learned to measure the size and distance of sun and moon from the earth and has also made calculation about next solar and lunar eclipse easier for scientists. On the other hand, some special types of astronomy has made it possible for scientist to measure the quantity of ultraviolet ray and gamma ray in the troposphere of the earth.<br /><br />Large number of scientists all over the world are working on different types of astronomy in the astronomical observatories because there is lot more to know about the space and cosmos. Apart from observational astronomy, people are also concentrating on subjects like radio astronomy, infrared astronomy, ultraviolet astronomy, gamma-ray astronomy, optical astronomy, celestial mechanics, astrometry and also focusing on theoretical astronomy.<br /><br />Types of Astronomy<br /> <br /># Theoretical astronomy<br /># Observational astronomyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1312538010126158537.post-73110774087384162862008-01-30T01:21:00.000-08:002008-01-30T01:24:19.730-08:00What is Astronomy?Astronomy is a branch of science that deals with celestial objects like comets, stars, meteors, planets, and galaxies and the incidents which originate outside the atmosphere of the Earth. The study of astronomy is concerned with subjects like evolution, chemistry, physics, meteorology, and motion of celestial objects. It also deals with the formation and development of this vast universe. This will take you through all the different aspects of the science of astronomy and its relevance to human existence. It is one of the oldest sciences whereby early astronomers had carried out methodical observations of the night sky. There are several astronomical artifacts that have been found from much earlier periods but before astronomy could develop into a modern science, the invention of the telescope was required. Earlier the science of astronomy included disciplines like celestial navigation, astrometry, observational astronomy, the making of calendars, as well as astrology.<br /><br />Today professional astronomy is often equated with astrophysics and since the 20th century it has been split into observational and theoretical branches. Over the years many Amateur astronomers have contributed to significant astronomical discoveries. It must be noted that modern astronomy must not be confused with astrology even though the two fields share a common origin and a part of their methods. There are many research centers and scientific organizations across the world which performs a significant portion of astronomical research. The top leading research centers for astronomical studies are Argonne National Laboratory, AXAF Science Center, Statistical Consulting Center for Astronomy, Solar Data Analysis Center at NASA/Goddard, Space Telescope-European Coordinating Facility, Center for EUV Astrophysics and more. The various branches of astronomy on which research is conducted include Astrobiology, Astrometry, Astrophysics, Cosmology, Galactic astronomy, Extragalactic astronomy, Stellar astronomy, Planetary sciences and others. The other disciplines of astronomy could also include Archaeoastronomy and Astrosociobiology.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0