astronomy

/əs'trɔnəmi/

Thân thiện

A student looks through a telescope at the stars during an astronomy class.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • The scientific study of celestial objects, space, and the physical universe as a whole: Astronomy is the branch of science that deals with the observation and theoretical understanding of stars, planets, galaxies, comets, and other phenomena beyond Earth's atmosphere.

Usage

• Astronomy is a fundamental science that seeks to understand the origin, evolution, and physical properties of everything in the cosmos.
• It is distinct from astrology, which is not a science but a belief system.
• The word is typically used as a non-count noun referring to the field of study.

Examples

• Noun:
  • She decided to major in astronomy because of her fascination with black holes.
  • Advances in astronomy have dramatically changed our understanding of the universe's age.
  • The new telescope will be a powerful tool for astronomy.

Advanced Usage

• "Observational astronomy": The practice of recording data about the universe using telescopes and other instruments.
  • His work in observational astronomy led to the discovery of several exoplanets.
• "Theoretical astronomy": The development of models and computer simulations to explain astronomical observations.
  • Theoretical astronomy helps us understand the physics of neutron stars.

Variants and Related Words

• Astronomer (n): A scientist who studies astronomy.
  • The astronomer published a paper on galaxy formation.
• Astronomical (adj):
  • Relating to astronomy.

    • The conference discussed the latest astronomical data.
  • (Informal) Extremely large.

    • The cost of the project was astronomical.

Synonyms

• Stargazing (n): The act of observing the stars, often as a hobby. (Note: This is less formal and scientific than astronomy.)
• Cosmology (n): The scientific study of the origin, evolution, and eventual fate of the universe. (Note: Cosmology is a subfield of astronomy focused on the universe as a whole.)

Related Phrases

• Radio astronomy: A subfield of astronomy that studies celestial objects by observing their radio wave emissions.
  • Radio astronomy allows us to see through cosmic dust clouds.
• Amateur astronomy: The observation of celestial objects by non-professionals as a hobby.
  • Amateur astronomy clubs are popular worldwide.

Học thuật

Noun

1. the branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole

Từ đồng nghĩa

• uranology