astronomy

[uh-stron-uh-mee]

noun

1. the science that deals with the material universe beyond the earth's atmosphere.

astronomy

/ əˈstrɒnəmɪ /

noun

1. the scientific study of the individual celestial bodies (excluding the earth) and of the universe as a whole. Its various branches include astrometry, astrodynamics, cosmology, and astrophysics

astronomy

1. The scientific study of the universe and the objects in it, including stars, planets, nebulae, and galaxies. Astronomy deals with the position, size, motion, composition, energy, and evolution of celestial objects. Astronomers analyze not only visible light but also radio waves, x-rays, and other ranges of radiation that come from sources outside the Earth's atmosphere.

astronomy

1. The science that deals with the universe beyond the Earth. It describes the nature, position, and motion of the stars, planets, and other objects in the skies, and their relation to the Earth.

Word History and Origins

Origin of astronomy¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English astronomie, from Anglo-French, from Latin astronomia, from Greek; equivalent to astro- + -nomy

Word History and Origins

Origin of astronomy¹

C13: from Old French astronomie, from Latin astronomia, from Greek; see _astro- , _-nomy

Example Sentences

In the worlds of physics and astronomy, biology and mathematics, technology and medicine, there are myriad topics that are fiendishly difficult to explain.

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His coauthor, Aswin Suresh, a graduate student in physics and astronomy at Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, played a key role in the analysis.

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Every close encounter serves as both a reminder of Earth's vulnerability and a demonstration of the growing precision of modern astronomy.

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“Ultimately astronomy is a social event, so it’s best done with other people.”

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"I want to engage with the public, excite them about what we do in astronomy, but also make it clear how important what we do is to the UK economy," Prof Dougherty said.

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Related Words

• astrophysics