How Astronomy Began

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Friday, July 3rd, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed

If you’ve a fervour for star gazing, telescopes, the Hubble and the universe and this thing we call “astronomy”, you’re much from alone. Naturally, we know that astronomy is a very respected science which has produced some of the most amazing accomplishments of the twentieth century. On top of that, it is a thriving area of obsession and one of the most enthralling hobby areas going with thousands of astronomy clubs and many thousands of thousands of amateur astronomers watching the stars consistently just like we do.

But did you aware that astronomy is an example of the oldest and most respected sciences of them all? As far back as before the times of Christ, the wise and thinking folks of societies of the time were looking at the stars and finding ways to track and chart them. We who love the pastime of astronomy can chart a proud history of astronomers that tracks across millennia and thru just about each culture in civilization. So for the sake of having some actually good trivialities to toss around at astronomy club the week after next, let’s highlight some of the large moments in the history of astronomy.

For many centuries the science of astronomy wasn’t distinct from the practice of astrology. For clarity, astronomy is the study of the stars, planets, and the universe with an obviously systematic approach. Astrology is the study of the zodiac signs and how they influence our growth, our personalities and our daily lives. In modern times, we as folk of science discount the astrological side and target the astronomy of the heavens. But they were one study for millennia before the age of science made them separate.

There is historical evidence that astronomy was a recognized science as far back as the Babylonian civilization hundreds of years before Christ. But the study of the stars was not limited to one country. There were similar movements going on in China, India, and Ancient Egypt and all over the Arabian Peninsula. The integration of astronomy and religion is so prevalent that we see it in the Christmas story in which the Magi, Zoroastrian priesthood probably from the equivalent of traditional Syria, followed a star to the Christ kid. These astronomers were also astrologers and it was that mixture that lead them to be a this consequential event.

The first book on astronomy was written by Ptolemy during the Greek empire. Since that important publication, the who’s who list of great astronomers charts a path right thru the center of modern science including Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Sir Issac Newton, Jung, Michelangelo, Benjamin Franklin and more lately even Einstein and Stephen Hawkings would join that noble list. It looked that from the renaissance on to this day, just about any man or lady intellect experimented in astronomy at least rather and it’s usually been considered an indication of the learned to understand about the universe and things astronomical.

Astronomy has had an impact on so many areas of our lives that we really don’t recognize. Many words in our language had their roots in astronomy such as:

* Influenza which comes from the Latin root word for influence. This reflects an early belief that the position of the moon and stars may influence health and cause or cure disease.

* Disaster which comes from the Latin for “bad star”.

* Lunatic which has the root word “Luna” in it which is the Latin word for moon. This illuminates the long held belief that is even prevalent today that irrational behavior and even wild and dangerous things happen in a full moon.

Astronomy and its interrelationship with astrology has also influenced culture, education and religion to a very large extent over the centuries. In the English language, the 1st a couple of days or our week, Sunday and Monday are a reference to astronomy as their literal interpretations would be “The Day of the Sun” and “The Day of the Moon.”

So if you have found astronomy becoming a consuming passion in your thoughts and what fascinates you about the world we live in, you are in great company as this area of study has been a major part of culture and thought virtually since the dawn of civilization. And it will continue to fascinate mankind for as long as those beautiful stars shine over our heads.

What is the biggest known planet in our galaxy? Visit planet-facts.com to compare the nine planets in our solar system. You might also want to take a look at solar sytem.

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