astronomer
Americannoun
-
astronomers
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of astronomer
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English; see origin at astronomy, -er 1
Explanation
A scientist who studies the objects in the sky, including planets, galaxies, black holes, and stars, is called an astronomer. These days, the terms astronomer and astrophysicist are used interchangeably, to talk about any physicist who specializes in celestial bodies and the forces that affect them. Astronomers use telescopes and cameras to observe the stars and other objects in the sky, and they often use complicated math to make predictions and solve puzzles about their movements and locations. The Greek root, astronomia, literally means "star arrangement."
Vocabulary lists containing astronomer
Occupations
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astro, aster
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Space Science (Astronomy) - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Named after astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, who helped overturn the belief that Earth sits at the center of the solar system, the principle holds that our location in the universe is not fundamentally special or privileged.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2026
While Amazon has 392 satellites in space, according to data from astronomer Jonathan McDowell, only 315 are in the proper operational orbit.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
Among the higher-profile entries are “Pete Townshend: Behind Blue Eyes,” a portrait of the Who guitarist and songwriter, and Nanette Burstein’s “Carl Sagan: We Are Made of Star Stuff,” about the astronomer and science communicator.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
The telescope is named after physicist Nancy Grace Roman, who was Nasa's first chief astronomer in the 1960s and its first female executive.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
The latter came from historian Mann and her Toledo colleague, astronomer Jerry Fields.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
This coordinated approach allowed astronomers to study brief astronomical phenomena before they faded from view.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
Because their peak brightness can be standardized, astronomers use them as cosmic reference points, often called standardizable candles.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
This cool region corresponds to the "MOLsphere," a layer containing molecular gas that astronomers had previously identified primarily through infrared observations.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026
Tyson and his fellow astronomers at the Rubin Observatory just started their 10-year survey of space.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
These had already been seen by other astronomers, but Galileo was not aware of that.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
