Public Science & Reference

Although astronomy and astrology are historically related and many individuals were interested in both, there is today no connection between the two. Hence two different USENET newsgroups exist: sci.astro (for the former) and alt.astrology (for the latter). DO NOT CONFUSE THEM.

Astronomy is based on the laws of physics (and therefore mathematics) and aims at describing what is happening to the universe based on what we observe today. Because the laws of physics are constant (as far as we can tell), astronomy can also explain how the universe behaved in the past and can propose a limited number of possible scenarios for its future (see FAQ entry about Big Bang).

Everyday life applications of astronomy include calculations/predictions of sunrise/sunset times, moon phases, tides, eclipse locations, comet visibility, encounters between various celestial bodies (e.g., SL9 comet crash onto Jupiter in 1994), spacecraft trajectories, etc. Astrology on the other hand claims it can predict what will happen to individuals (or guess what is happening to them), or to mankind, based on such things as solar system configurations and birth dates. Common applications include horoscopes and such. Regardless of whether there is scientific support for astrology, its goal and methods are clearly distinct from those of astronomy.

 Astrology is based on the belief that the positions of the planets and stars at the moment of a person’s birth have an effect on the personality of the person and on some major events in the person’s life. According to astrology much can be told about a person and the person’s future based on this knowledge of the alignment of planets and stars at the moment of birth. One problem with astrology is that the materials used to determine the locations of planets stars and constellations are centuries old; they are old enough so that as a result of precession they no longer are in agreement with the true positions of the heavenly bodies. There is no widely accepted evidence that the claims of astrology have anything more than individually attested or anecdotal merit.

Why do some folks dislike the winter time with such a hatred? Is it the snow, the cold, the slippery sidewalks, or is it something else they truly hate, and that is getting the winter blues because they always think there’s nothing to do. I have always loved the winter time, from when I was a kid to my present age, I don’t care much for the cost of the rising heat bill each year, but as far as the beauty of the winter scenery, I think it’s wonderful, truly a gift from God.

How many times have you been outside on a cold, crisp, clear winter night and looked up to the heavens. The one thing that stands out in the winter over the summer months is, the sky becomes much clearer and the visibility of the stars and other celestial objects increases dramatically. The winter time is the best time of the year to pick up an exciting hobby like Astronomy or Star Gazing as it’s often called.

Astronomy is a hobby that has become very affordable and can be enjoyed by anyone that has a nice unobstructed view of the nighttime winter sky. If you live in the heart of a major city that has a lot of bright lights, you will probably not be able to enjoy astronomy, as much as someone who lives in a small town, or the country. To get started in astronomy you should pick up a couple books on astronomy for beginners. The books will show and tell you what incredible heavenly objects you can see, and the size or power of the telescopes needed to see them.

If you like to look to the heavens even just occasionally get yourself some decent binoculars and indulge in a little binocular astronomy. Think about it, binoculars are inexpensive, highly portable and require no complicated setting up procedure so are ideal for casual astronomy.

Binoculars allow excellent moon views, and great viewing of star fields, comets and even deep sky objects. They are especially useful for beginners as unlike astronomy telescopes they keep the view the the right way up, making it really easy to navigate the skies. With a little practice you can pick out several of the planets and even the larger moons orbiting Jupiter. Clusters like Pleiades look great because the binoculars wide field of view lets you have more of the cluster in view at one time than a telescope would.

So how to choose which ones? Binoculars have two specifications marked on the body of the binocular in the form of 7x 50, where the first number represents the magnification (in this case 7 times) and the second the aperture in millimeters (50mm in this case). When it comes to selecting the right binoculars for astronomy, aperture is the most important feature to think about. The bigger the aperture the more light is captured so the brighter and clearer the image will be. For astronomy use you will need at least 40mm aperture and preferably larger.

You will need a magnification factor of at least 7, maybe up to 10 if you have a steady hand. Any higher than about 10 times magnification and you will need to mount your binoculars on a tripod as the hand shake effect makes it difficult to get a sharp image.

Astronomy or Astrology

Have you ever finally given in to temptation and read your horoscope in the newspaper on Sunday morning? OK,OK, fewer and fewer people read the Sunday newspaper. But even on the net there are astrology websites and astrology columns all over the place. Even in places you would never expect them

Anyhow, sure, we all have given in to that temptation and taken a sneak peek. For most of us, it’s a curiosity, an amusement to see what the swamis say our day will be like based on the sign of the zodiac that we were born under. Sometimes we lose sight of the fact that this small diversion is really part of an ancient science called astrology and that it had a powerful effect on many cultures dating back to most ancient times.

To a student of astronomy, the confusion between astronomy and astrology can be pretty annoying. The small difference in spelling causes some people a lot of confusion. Actually, in early civilizations around the world the two disciplines were not separate. A simple way of putting it is that astrology was the religious face of the science of astronomy.

So what changed? In the Western world the most significant shift took place in the second century C.E. when Ptolemy of Egypt (who might have been Greek, Egyptian or Roman) wrote a book on ‘scientific’ astrology called the Tetrabiblos. He had previously written a larger book on classical astronomy. The theory he espoused in that book was so influential that for more than a thousand years after his death most Western sailors followed his system as a method of guiding their ships at sea.

When we were children we were often taught that we could wish upon the first star that we saw in the evening sky. After that wish was made and if we believed hard enough our wish would come true. Eventually, our childhood fantasies gave way to fact as we became more educated. This education was accomplished through astronomy classes, space exploration and other educational means.

The word astronomy is comprised of two Greek words. The Greek word astro means star shaped or star and pertains to outer space. The word onomy literally means the study of. Therefore, astronomy is the study of the stars.

One of the major tools that assists amateur and professional astronomers in understanding and respecting the galaxy is the astronomy telescope. When looking to purchase a good astronomy telescope there are a number of factors that you can keep in mind. First, of all consider some practical suggestions, remember it is about the diameter of the lens, and make sure your telescope has a solid stand.

Practical Suggestions

Before you purchase your astronomy telescope it is important to conduct your research. One way of conducting this research can be accomplished by accessing the Internet and learning more about telescopes. Some of the questions that you should endeavor to answer surround what features to look for in a telescope, approximate cost, recommended brands, etc.

Another practical suggestion, before you purchase your astronomy telescope, is to “test drive” a telescope. This can be accomplished by joining an astronomy club. Often these clubs will have a stargazing event which will allow you to peer through the telescopes owned by the various members.

Astronomy is a fascinating hobby, and when you own your own telescope, astronomy takes on a new meaning. Suddenly you get to see the craters on our Moon. You get to see the rings of Saturn, and so much more. As you read this article, you will discover: * Astronomy Basics * Buying Your First Telescope * Getting The Most Out Of Astronomy * Astronomy Basics We live on a planet called Earth. Earth is illuminated by a star – called our Sun. Earth is a planet which has several neighbors. Most of these can be seen in a telescope, for example, Jupiter and Saturn. Even though you don’t need a telescope to get started in astronomy, it can help a lot. There is more to astronomy than simply planets. There are galaxies, other stars, and even nebula and other objects. * Buying Your First Telescope To get the most out of astronomy, you will want to buy a telescope. Buying your first telescope is always fun. You get to explore things which were there all the time, but perhaps didn’t realize such beautiful worlds in there own right. A good telescope can be purchased for a few hundred dollars. These telescopes can help you see the best in the universe, and all from your own backyard! There are many places to buy a telescope from, though finding retail stores that sell these great instruments is not always possible. I have found buying online to be the best way to go. Telescopes come in two main varieties. The first is the reflecting telescopes, and the other is refracting telescopes. With reflecting telescopes, you will find that they utilize a mirror, and are much wider than what most think a telescope is. With refracting telescopes, they are a long thin tube that allows a much easier way to work with. Refracting telescopes are the type of telescope we often think of as a telescope. It was designed by Galileo and not only is it much easier to operate; it lasts longer, because everything is enclosed. The only downside is that they can get expensive for larger sizes, so reflecting telescopes are almost always the best way to go when wanting a larger sized telescope. One point that is of great delight is that telescopes have different versions today. No longer do you need to be an expert navigator of the heavens. Telescope companies such as Meade, Celestron and Orion have GoTo computerized telescopes that are very easy to operate. * Getting The Most Out Of Astronomy To get the most out of astronomy, I can recommend a few items. Though they are not absolutely essential, I feel they are. The reason is simple. Most people buy a telescope, and point it up to the heavens. First they look at the Moon, then a planet, and zoom at whatever object is in the sky. I know I have done it! However, this is not the best way, as soon boredom kicks in. A star atlas, allows you to know where to point. A good practical astronomy book is an absolute must in my opinion because it can help you go from beginner to intermediate telescope user.

Astronomy can be defined as the branch of science that deals with the study of natures and motion of celestial bodies like stars, planets and galaxies. There are yet different definitions for Astronomy. This includes the study of matter and objects outside earth’s atmosphere and having their own physical and chemical properties. Some different views include –Astronomy is the study of everything. This is because astronomy is the study of universe and everything is part of the universe.

One can say that all these definitions are correct and hence there are many sub fields within astronomy. Cosmologists, Astrometrists, Planetologist, Radio astronomers, Mathematical astronomers are some among these sub divisions. Cosmologists study universe as a whole including its origin and beginning. Planetologists do study about all those planets with in the solar system and those orbiting distant stars. Astrometrists calculate distances connected with universe. Again Radio astronomers use radio telescopes to study the universe. Numbers, calculations and statistics are used by mathematical astronomers in order to explain universe.

We can’t say that astronomy is a stand alone subject. It is a combination of different fields. These fields include mathematics, geology, chemistry, physics, geology, biology. Physics can be said to be as one of the most integral part of astronomy. That is why some of the astronomers are known as Astrophysicists. Astronomy can be said to be the oldest science. During the early age, astronomers were priests and holy men, who tried to fix the puzzle of the universe. They tried to determine planting cycles and celebrations. Astronomy theories where first developed and introduced by ancient Greeks. They made out theories about the universe design as a whole. There were many astronomers who proved them to be great astronomers. Later many of the facts provided by them proved to be wrong, as technology came forward with a helping hand. Some of them include Ptolemy, Copernicus, Galileo Galilee, Johannes Kepler etc. but one fact is sure that with out the contributions of all those greats the facts known today could not have reached upon.