Outline of astronomy
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to astronomy:
Mauna Kea in Hawaii is one of the world's premier observatory sites. Pictured is the W. M. Keck Observatory, an optical interferometer.
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). Astronomy also intersects with biology, as astrobiology, studying potential life throughout the universe.
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 it
- 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.
- A hobby or part-time pursuit for the satisfaction of personal curiosity or appreciation of beauty, the latter especially including astrophotography.
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][2] 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.
- Quantum cosmology - the study of cosmology through the use of quantum field theory to explain phenomena general relativity cannot due to limitations in its framework.
- Computational astrophysics – The study of astrophysics using computational methods and tools to develop computational models.
- 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 bodies, including asteroids, comets, Kuiper belt objects, and dust.
- Astronomy divided by general technique used for astronomical research:
- 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.
- Observational astronomy – practice of observing celestial objects by using telescopes and other astronomical apparatus. It is concerned with recording data. The subdisciplines of observational astronomy are generally made by the specifications of the detectors, specifically the ranges of wavelengths observed:
- 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
- Dust astronomy – Cosmic dust
- Gravitational wave astronomy – Gravitons
- Photometry – study of how bright celestial objects are when passed through different filters
- Spectroscopy – study of the spectra of astronomical objects
- Other disciplines that may be considered part of astronomy:
History of astronomy
- History of the Center of the Universe
- Geocentric model
- Heliocentrism
- Copernican heliocentrism
- Tychonic system
- Archaeoastronomy
- Archaeoastronomy and Vedic chronology
- Pretelescopic astronomy
- Babylonian astronomy
- Chinese astronomy
- Egyptian astronomy
- Greek astronomy
- Hebrew astronomy
- Indian astronomy
- Islamic astronomy
- Russian astronomy
- Astronomy in the Middle Ages
- Science in Medieval Western Europe
- Astronomy in medieval Islam
- History of astronomy in the Renaissance
- Scientific developments during the Scientific Revolution
- Patronage in astronomy
- Copernican Revolution
- Copernican heliocentrism
- Nicolaus Copernicus
- Tycho Brahe
- Tychonic system
- 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
Astronomical objects
Solar System
Sun
- Location
- Stellar classification
- Internal structure
- Stellar atmosphere
- Solar variation
- Heliosphere
- Related phenomena
- Solar dynamo
- Solar eclipse
- Sunlight
- Solar energy
- Equipment used to study the Sun
Planets
- Planet
- Features
- Natural satellites (moons)
- Planetary rings
- Features
- Planets of the Solar System
- Dwarf planets of the Solar System
Small Solar System bodies
- Asteroids
- Minor planets
- Category:Asteroid groups and families
- List of asteroids
- Meanings of asteroid names
- Trans-Neptunian objects
Exoplanets
- Exoplanet (also known as extrasolar planets) – planet outside the Solar System. A total of 4,341 such planets have been identified as of 28 Jan 2021.
- Super-Earth – exoplanet with a mass higher than Earth's, but substantially below those of the Solar System's ice giants.
- Mini-Neptune – also known as a gas dwarf or transitional planet. A planet up to 10 Earth masses, but less massive than Uranus and Neptune.
- Super-Jupiter – an exoplanet more massive than Jupiter.
- Sub-Earth – an exoplanet "substantially less massive" than Earth and Venus.
- Circumbinary planet – an exoplanet that orbits two stars.
- Hot Jupiter – an exoplanet whose characteristics are similar to Jupiter, but that have high surface temperatures because they orbit very close to their parent stars, whereas Jupiter orbits its parent star (the Sun) at 5.2 AU (780×106 km), causing low surface temperatures.
- Hot Neptune – an exoplanet in an orbit close to its star (normally less than one astronomical unit away), with a mass similar to that of Uranus or Neptune.
- Pulsar planet – a planet that orbits a pulsar or a rapidly rotating neutron star.
- Rogue planet (also known as an interstellar planet) – a planetary-mass object that orbits the galaxy directly.
Stars and stellar objects
Stars
- 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 observation 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
- 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
- Classes
- Related
- Structure
- Progenitors
- Remnants
- Discovery
- Notable
- Research
- Supernova Cosmology Project
- High-z Supernova Search Team
- Texas Supernova Search
- Nearby Supernova Factory
- Supernova Legacy Survey
- Supernova Early Warning System
- Monte Agliale Supernovae and Asteroid Survey
- Supernova/Acceleration Probe
- Sloan Digital Sky Survey § Sloan Supernova Survey
Black holes
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Artist's representation of a black hole.
- Types
- Schwarzschild metric
- Rotating black hole
- Charged black hole
- Virtual black hole
- Size
- Micro black hole
- Extremal black hole (Black hole electron)
- Stellar black hole
- Intermediate-mass black hole
- Supermassive black hole
- Quasar
- Formation
- Stellar evolution
- Gravitational collapse
- Neutron star (Template:neutron star)
- Compact star
- Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff limit
- White dwarf (Template:white dwarf)
- Supernova (Template:supernovae)
- Hypernova
- Gamma-ray burst
- Properties
- Black hole thermodynamics
- Schwarzschild radius
- M–sigma relation
- Event horizon
- Quasi-periodic oscillation
- Photon sphere
- Ergosphere
- Hawking radiation
- Penrose process
- Bondi accretion
- Spaghettification
- Gravitational lens
- Models
- Gravitational singularity (Penrose–Hawking singularity theorems)
- Primordial black hole
- Gravastar
- Dark star
- Dark energy star
- Black star
- Magnetospheric eternally collapsing object
- Fuzzball
- White hole
- Naked singularity
- Ring singularity
- Immirzi parameter
- Membrane paradigm
- Kugelblitz
- Wormhole
- Quasistar
- Issues
- No-hair theorem
- Black hole information paradox
- Cosmic censorship hypothesis
- Nonsingular black hole models
- Holographic principle
- Black hole complementarity
- Metrics
- Schwarzschild metric
- Kerr metric
- Reissner–Nordström
- Kerr–Newman
- Related
- List of black holes
- Timeline of black hole physics
- Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer
- Hypercompact stellar system
Constellations
The 88 modern constellations
- 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
The 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy after 150 AD
- 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
- 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
Obsolete constellations including Ptolemy's Argo Navis
Obsolete constellations including Ptolemy's Argo Navis Anser
- 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
| Bound |
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| Unbound | |
| Visual grouping | |
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Galaxies
| Location | Milky Way → Milky Way subgroup → Local Group → Local Sheet → Virgo Supercluster → Laniakea Supercluster → Local Hole → Observable universe → Universe Each arrow (→) may be read as "within" or "part of". |  The Milky Way Galaxy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure |
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| Active nuclei | |
| Energetic galaxies | |
| Low activity | |
| Interaction | |
| Lists | |
| See also |
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Cosmology
Space exploration
- See: Outline of space exploration
Public sector space agencies
Space agencies
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
National Space Research and Development Agency
South African National Space Agency
North America
Agencia Espacial Mexicana.svg.png.webp)
Canadian Space Agency
NASA- United States Department of Defense
- National Reconnaissance Office
- United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command
- United States Space Command
- United States Space Force
South America
Agencia Bolivariana para Actividades Espaciales
Brazilian Space Agency- Brazilian General Command for Aerospace Technology
Colombian Space Commission
Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales
Comisión Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Aeroespacial- Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica
- Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas
- National Institute for Space Research
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 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
Department of Space
- Antrix Corporation
- Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology
- Indian Space Research Organisation
- National Atmospheric Research Laboratory
- New Space India Limited
- North-Eastern Space Applications Centre
- Physical Research Laboratory
- Semi-Conductor Laboratory
Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission
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
KazCosmos- Kazakh Space Research Institute1
Turkmenistan National Space Agency1
UzbekCosmos1
Europe
Austrian Space Agency
Belarus Space Agency1.svg.png.webp)
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.svg.png.webp)
Swiss Space Office
UK Space Agency
State Space Agency of Ukraine1
Oceania
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Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
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
- United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
- United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs
1 Preceded by the Soviet space program
Books and publications
Astronomers
- Aryabhata
- Walter Baade
- Friedrich Bessel
- Tycho Brahe
- Annie Jump Cannon
- Alvan Clark
- Nicholas Copernicus
- Galileo Galilei
- George Ellery Hale
- William Herschel
- Edwin Hubble
- Jacobus Kapteyn
- Johannes Kepler
- Gerard Kuiper
- Joseph-Louis Lagrange
- Pierre-Simon Laplace
- Henrietta Leavitt
- Isaac Newton
- Edward C. Pickering
- Ptolemy
- Henry Norris Russell
- Harlow Shapley
See also
References
- "astrophysics". Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Retrieved 2011-05-22.
- "Stern kaufen". Retrieved 15 September 2012.
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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