Outline of astronomy
From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Mauna Kea in Hawaii is one of the world's premier observatory sites. Pictured is the W. M. Keck Observatory, an optical interferometer.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to astronomy:
Astronomy – studies the universe beyond Earth, including its formation and development, and the evolution, physics, chemistry, meteorology, and motion of celestial objects (such as galaxies, planets, etc.) and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth (such as the cosmic background radiation).
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Contents
- 1 Nature of astronomy
- 2 Branches of astronomy
- 3 History of astronomy
- 4 Basic astronomical phenomena
- 5 Instruments, measurement and units
- 6 Astronomical objects
- 7 Astronomers
- 8 See also
- 9 References
- 10 External links
Nature of astronomy
Astronomy can be described as all the following:
- An academic discipline: one with academic departments, curricula and degrees; national and international societies; and specialized journals.
- A scientific field (a branch of science) – widely-recognized category of specialized expertise within science, and typically embodies its own terminology and nomenclature. Such a field will usually be represented by one or more scientific journals, where peer reviewed research is published.
- A natural science – one that seeks to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world using empirical and scientific methods.
- A branch or field of space science
- A natural science – one that seeks to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world using empirical and scientific methods.
Branches of astronomy
- Astrobiology – studies the advent and evolution of biological systems in the universe.
- Astrophysics – branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior.[1] Among the objects studied are galaxies, stars, planets, exoplanets, the interstellar medium and the cosmic microwave background; and the properties examined include luminosity, density, temperature, and chemical composition. The subdisciplines of theoretical astrophysics are:
- Compact objects – this subdiscipline studies very dense matter in white dwarfs and neutron stars and their effects on environments including accretion.
- Physical cosmology – origin and evolution of the universe as a whole. The study of cosmology is theoretical astrophysics at its largest scale.
- Galactic astronomy – deals with the structure and components of our galaxy and of other galaxies.
- High energy astrophysics – studies phenomena occurring at high energies including active galactic nuclei, supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, quasars, and shocks.
- Interstellar astrophysics – study of the interstellar medium, intergalactic medium and dust.
- Extragalactic astronomy – study of objects (mainly galaxies) outside our galaxy, including Galaxy formation and evolution.
- Stellar astronomy – concerned with Star formation, physical properties, main sequence life span, variability, stellar evolution and extinction.
- Plasma astrophysics – studies properties of plasma in outer space.
- Relativistic astrophysics – studies effects of special relativity and general relativity in astrophysical contexts including gravitational waves, gravitational lensing and black holes.
- Solar physics – Sun and its interaction with the remainder of the Solar System and interstellar space.
- Planetary Science – study of planets, moons, and planetary systems.
- Atmospheric science – study of atmospheres and weather.
- Exoplanetology – various planets outside of the Solar System
- Planetary formation – formation of planets and moons in the context of the formation and evolution of the Solar System.
- Planetary rings – dynamics, stability, and composition of planetary rings
- Magnetospheres – magnetic fields of planets and moons
- Planetary surfaces – surface geology of planets and moons
- Planetary interiors – interior composition of planets and moons
- Small Solar System bodies – smallest gravitationally bound bodies, including asteroids, comets, and Kuiper belt objects.
The subdisciplines of observational astronomy are generally made by the specifications of the detectors:
- Radio astronomy – Above 300 µm
- Submillimetre astronomy – 200 µm to 1 mm
- Infrared astronomy – 0.7–350 µm
- Optical astronomy – 380–750 nm
- Ultraviolet astronomy – 10–320 nm
- X-ray astronomy – 0.01–10 nm
- Gamma-ray astronomy – Below 0.01 nm
- Cosmic ray astronomy – Cosmic rays, including plasma
- Neutrino astronomy – Neutrinos
- Gravitational wave astronomy – Gravitons
General techniques for astronomical research are also convenient ways of dividing the field:
- Photometry – study of how bright celestial objects are when passed through different filters
- Spectroscopy – study of the spectra of astronomical objects
- Astrometry – study of the position of objects in the sky and their changes of position. Defines the system of coordinates used and the kinematics of objects in our galaxy.
Other disciplines that may be considered part of astronomy:
History of astronomy
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- Main article: History of astronomy
- History of the Center of the Universe
- Archaeoastronomy
- Pretelescopic astronomy
- History of astronomy in the Renaissance
- Scientific developments during the Scientific Revolution
- Patronage in astronomy
- Copernican Revolution
- Copernican heliocentrism
- Nicolaus Copernicus
- Tycho Brahe
- Galileo Galilei
- Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems defense of the heliocentric system written by Galileo, which led to his trial and house arrest by the Inquisition.
- Invention of the telescope
- Scientific developments during the Scientific Revolution
- History of astronomy in the Age of Reflection
- Radio astronomy#History of radio astronomy
- History of X-ray astronomy
- History of infrared astronomy
- History of gamma-ray astronomy
- History of supernova observation
Basic astronomical phenomena
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Instruments, measurement and units
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Astronomical objects
Solar system
Sun
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Sun
- Location
- Stellar classification
- Internal structure
- Stellar atmosphere
- Solar variation
- Heliosphere
- Related phenomena
- Equipment used to study the sun
Planets
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- Planet
- Features
- Natural satellites (moons)
- Planetary rings
- Features
- Planets of the solar system
- Dwarf planets of the solar system
Small solar system bodies
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Extrasolar planets
- Extrasolar planet – planet outside the Solar System. A total of 899 such planets (in 698 planetary systems, including 133 multiple planetary systems) have been identified as of 27 June 2013.
Stars and stellar objects
Stars
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- Stellar evolution
- Star formation
- Pre–main sequence
- Main sequence
- Horizontal branch
- Asymptotic giant branch
- Dredge-up
- Instability strip
- Red clump
- PG 1159 star
- Mira variable
- Planetary nebula
- Protoplanetary nebula
- Luminous red nova
- Luminous blue variable
- Wolf–Rayet star
- Supernova impostor
- Supernova
- Hypernova
- Hertzsprung–Russell diagram
- Color–color diagram
- Protostars
- Luminosity class
- Stellar classification
- Remnants
- Failed and theoretical stars
- Stellar nucleosynthesis
- Stellar structure
- Properties
- Star systems
- Earth-centric obvservation of stars
- Lists of stars
- List of proper names of stars
- List of Arabic star names
- Traditional Chinese star names
- List of most massive stars
- List of least massive stars
- List of largest known stars
- List of brightest stars
- List of most luminous stars
- List of nearest stars
- List of exoplanetary host stars
- List of brown dwarfs
- List of planetary nebulae
- List of novae
- List of supernovae
- List of supernova remnants
- List of supernova candidates
- Timeline of stellar astronomy
Variable stars
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Variable star
- Pulsating
- Cepheids and cepheid-like
- Blue-white with early spectra
- Long Period and Semiregular
- Other
- Eruptive
- Pre-main sequence star
- Main Sequence
- Giants and supergiants
- Eruptive binary
- Cataclysmic or explosive
- Cataclysmic variable star
- Dwarf nova
- Nova
- Supernova
- Z Andromedae
- Rotating
- Non-spherical
- Ellipsoidal
- Stellar spots
- FK Comae Berenices
- BY Draconis variable
- Magnetic fields
- Alpha² Canum Venaticorum variable
- SX Arietis
- Pulsar
- Non-spherical
- Eclipsing binary
Supernovae
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Supernova
- Classes
- Related
- Structure
- Progenitors
- Remnants
- Discovery
- Notable
- Research
Black holes
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Black hole
- Types
- Size
- Formation
- Properties
- Models
- Issues
- Metrics
- Related
Constellations
The 88 modern constellations
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- Andromeda
- Antlia
- Apus
- Aquarius
- Aquila
- Ara
- Aries
- Auriga
- Boötes
- Caelum
- Camelopardalis
- Cancer
- Canes Venatici
- Canis Major
- Canis Minor
- Capricornus
- Carina
- Cassiopeia
- Centaurus
- Cepheus
- Cetus
- Chamaeleon
- Circinus
- Columba
- Coma Berenices
- Corona Australis
- Corona Borealis
- Corvus
- Crater
- Crux
- Cygnus
- Delphinus
- Dorado
- Draco
- Equuleus
- Eridanus
- Fornax
- Gemini
- Grus
- Hercules
- Horologium
- Hydra
- Hydrus
- Indus
- Lacerta
- Leo
- Leo Minor
- Lepus
- Libra
- Lupus
- Lynx
- Lyra
- Mensa
- Microscopium
- Monoceros
- Musca
- Norma
- Octans
- Ophiuchus
- Orion
- Pavo
- Pegasus
- Perseus
- Phoenix
- Pictor
- Pisces
- Piscis Austrinus
- Puppis
- Pyxis
- Reticulum
- Sagitta
- Sagittarius
- Scorpius
- Sculptor
- Scutum
- Serpens
- Sextans
- Taurus
- Telescopium
- Triangulum
- Triangulum Australe
- Tucana
- Ursa Major
- Ursa Minor
- Vela
- Virgo
- Volans
- Vulpecula
Constellation history
The 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy after 150 AD
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- Andromeda
- Aquarius
- Aquila
- Ara
- Argo Navis
- Aries
- Auriga
- Boötes
- Cancer
- Canis Major
- Canis Minor
- Capricornus
- Cassiopeia
- Centaurus
- Cepheus
- Cetus
- Corona Australis
- Corona Borealis
- Corvus
- Crater
- Cygnus
- Delphinus
- Draco
- Equuleus
- Eridanus
- Gemini
- Hercules
- Hydra
- Leo
- Lepus
- Libra
- Lupus
- Lyra
- Ophiuchus
- Orion
- Pegasus
- Perseus
- Pisces
- Piscis Austrinus
- Sagitta
- Sagittarius
- Scorpius
- Serpens
- Taurus
- Triangulum
- Ursa Major
- Ursa Minor
- Virgo
The 41 additional constellations added in the 16th and 17th centuries
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- Vespucci or Corsalius early 16c: Crux
- Triangulum Australe ▶ Vopel 1536: Coma Berenices ▶ Keyser & de Houtman 1596: Apus
- Chamaeleon
- Dorado
- Grus
- Hydrus
- Indus
- Musca
- Pavo
- Phoenix
- Tucana
- Volans ▶ Plancius 1613: Camelopardalis
- Columba
- Monoceros ▶ Habrecht 1621: Reticulum ▶ Hevelius 1683: Canes Venatici
- Lacerta
- Leo Minor
- Lynx
- Scutum
- Sextans
- Vulpecula ▶ de Lacaille 1763: Antlia
- Caelum
- Carina
- Circinus
- Fornax
- Horologium
- Mensa
- Microscopium
- Norma
- Octans
- Pictor
- Puppis
- Pyxis
- Sculptor
- Telescopium
- Vela
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Obsolete constellations including Ptolemy's Argo Navis
- Antinous
- Argo Navis
- Asterion
- Cancer Minor
- Cerberus
- Chara
- Custos Messium
- Felis
- Frederici Honores/Gloria Frederici
- Gallus
- Globus Aerostaticus
- Jordanus
- Lochium Funis
- Machina Electrica
- Malus
- Mons Maenalus
- Musca Borealis
- Noctua
- Officina Typographica
- Polophylax
- Psalterium Georgianum/Harpa Georgii
- Quadrans Muralis
- Ramus Pomifer
- Robur Carolinum
- Sceptrum Brandenburgicum
- Sceptrum et Manus Iustitiae
- Solarium
- Rangifer/Tarandus
- Taurus Poniatovii
- Telescopium Herschelii
- Testudo
- Tigris
- Triangulum Minus
- Turdus Solitarius
- Vespa
- Vultur cadens
- Vultur volans
Clusters and nebulae
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Galaxies
| Location |
Milky Way → Milky Way subgroup → Local Group → Virgo Supercluster → Laniakea Supercluster → Observable universe → Universe
Each arrow (→) may be read as "within" or "part of". |
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Cosmology
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Space exploration
Organizations
Public sector space agencies
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Africa
North Africa
Algerian Space Agency
National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences- Egypt Remote Sensing Center
Royal Centre for Remote Sensing
National Remote Sensing Center
Sub-Saharan
Americas
North America
Canadian Space Agency
Agencia Espacial Mexicana
United States Department of Defense (Air Force Space Command- National Reconnaissance Office
- United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command
- Transformational Communications Office
- United States Strategic Command)
- NASA
South America
Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales
Brazilian Space Agency- Brazilian General Command for Aerospace Technology
- National Institute for Space Research
- Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica
Agencia Chilena del Espacio
Colombian Space Commission
National Commission for Aerospace Research & Development
Aeronautics & Space Research and Diffusion Center
Agencia Bolivariana para Actividades Espaciales- Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas
Asia
East Asia
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology- China Academy of Space Technology
- China Chang Feng
- China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
- Commission for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense)
- China National Space Administration
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Institute of Space and Astronautical Science- National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan
- National Space Development Agency of Japan)
- National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
- Institute for Unmanned Space Experiment Free Flyer
National Remote Sensing Center
Korean Committee of Space Technology
Korea Aerospace Research Institute
National Space Organization
Southeast Asia
National Institute of Aeronautics and Space
Malaysian National Space Agency
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Thai Ministry of Science and Technology's Space Agency
Space Technology Institute- Vietnam Space Commission
South Asia
Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization
Indian Space Research Organisation (Antrix Corporation- Department of Space)
Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission
Sri Lanka Aeronautics and Space Agency
Southwest Asia
Azerbaijan National Aerospace Agency1
Iran Aviation Industries Organization- Iranian Space Agency
Israel Space Agency- National Committee for Space Research
TÜBİTAK UZAY
Central Asia
Europe
Austrian Space Agency
Belarus Space Agency1
Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy
Bulgarian Space Agency
Czech Space Office
Danish National Space Center- esa European Cooperation for Space Standardization
- European Space Agency
EUMETSAT- European Union Satellite Centre
CNES
German Aerospace Center
Institute for Space Applications and Remote Sensing
Hungarian Space Office
Space Ireland
Italian Space Agency
Space Science and Technology Institute1
Luxinnovation
Netherlands Institute for Space Research
Norwegian Space Centre
Space Research Centre
Portuguese Space Company
Romanian Space Agency
Russian Federal Space Agency1- Russian Space Research Institute1
- Russian Space Forces
Soviet space program
Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial
Swedish National Space Board
Swiss Space Office
UK Space Agency
State Space Agency of Ukraine1
Oceania
World
- Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization
- Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems
- Committee on Space Research
- International Academy of Astronautics
- International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
- Intercosmos
- Intersputnik
Pan-Arab Space Agency
United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space- United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs
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1 Preceded by the Soviet space program
Books and publications
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Astronomers
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See also
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References
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External links
- Astronomy Guide For reviews on astronomy products, how-to's and current events.
- Astronomy Net Resources, forums (from 1995), articles on Astronomy.
- International Year of Astronomy 2009 IYA2009 Main website
- Cosmic Journey: A History of Scientific Cosmology from the American Institute of Physics
- Astronomy Picture of the Day
- Southern Hemisphere Astronomy
- Sky & Telescope publishers
- Astronomy Magazine
- Latest astronomy news in 11 languages
- Universe Today for astronomy and space-related news
- Celestia Motherlode Educational site for Astronomical journeys through space
- Search Engine for Astronomy
- Hubblesite.org - home of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope
- Astronomy - A History - G. Forbes - 1909 (eLibrary Project - eLib Text)
- (historical)
- Prof. Sir Harry Kroto, NL, Astrophysical Chemistry Lecture Series. 8 Freeview Lectures provided by the Vega Science Trust.
- Core books and core journals in Astronomy, from the Smithsonian/NASA Astrophysics Data System
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