astronomy

American  

[uh-stron-uh-mee] / əˈstrɒn ə mi /

noun

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

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astronomy British  

/ 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

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astronomy Scientific  

/ ə-strŏn′ə-mē /

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.

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astronomy Cultural  

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.

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Etymology

Origin of astronomy

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

Compare meaning

How does astronomy compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• astronomy vs. astrology

Explanation

Astronomy is the science that looks up: at stars, at other planets, at solar systems, at galaxies, and at everything else in the universe. The Ancient Greeks used the word astron for "star," so it only makes sense that astronomy would involve the study or the stars (and other unearthly topics). Someone who studies or works in astronomy is an astronomer, and one of the main tools of the trade is the telescope. As telescopes get more and more powerful, astronomers learn more and more about what's going on out there, such as how old a star or planet is. If you ever wondered what's out there besides the Earth, you should learn more about astronomy.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

astronomy

Jodrell Bank had a pioneering role in the development of radio astronomy.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

The Templo Mayor Museum, which displays artifacts found at the site, reveals their genius for engineering, herbal medicine and astronomy, as well as their artistic skills, including stone sculptures, exquisite ceramics and delicate jewelry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

"This result shows that much more mass than previously thought is hidden in low-mass stars," said Mariska Kriek, who led the research and serves as professor of extragalactic astronomy at Leiden Observatory.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026

The local authority has previously said the Highlands, which has large, sparsely populated areas, offered astronomy fans some of the darkest skies in Europe.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

It’s time to go back to the sixteenth century and pick up the threads of the developments in astronomy and the mechanical sciences which followed on from the work of Copernicus.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

Related Words

• astrophysics