- Outline of astronomy
-
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).
Nature of astronomy
Astronomy can be described as all of 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
- 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:
- Astrobiology – studies the advent and evolution of biological systems in the universe.
- Compact objects – this subdiscipline studies very dense matter in white dwarfs and neutron stars and their effects on environments including accretion.
- Exoplanet studies – various planets outside of the Solar System
- 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.
- Planetary Science – study of the planets of the Solar System.
- Atmospheric science – study of atmospheres and weather.
- 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
- Solar physics – Sun and its interaction with the remainder of the Solar System and interstellar space.
- 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 micrometres
- 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
- Main article: History of astronomy
- Archaeoastronomy –
- Babylonian astronomy –
- Chinese astronomy –
- Egyptian astronomy –
- Greek astronomy –
- Hebrew astronomy –
- Indian astronomy –
- Islamic astronomy –
- Russian astronomy –
- Science in Medieval Western Europe –
Basic astronomical phenomena
- Atmosphere –
- Celestial pole –
- Eclipse –
- Ecliptic –
- Cosmic rays –
- Kepler's laws –
- Doppler effect –
- Nutation –
- Orbit –
- Perturbation –
- Precession –
- Proper motion –
- Redshift –
- Solar eclipse –
- Tides –
- Zodiac –
Instruments, measurement and units
- Radio telescope –
- Telescope –
- Calendar –
- Astronomical Unit –
- Celestial coordinates –
- Parsec –
- Precession –
- Celestial mechanics –
- Solar time –
- Sidereal time –
Astronomical objects
Solar system
- Galilean satellites –
- Halley's comet –
Sun
Sun –
- Location
- Stellar classification: Stellar classification#Class G
- Internal structure
- Stellar atmosphere
- Solar variation
- Heliosphere
- Related phenomena
- Equipment used to study the sun
Planets
- Planets
- Features
- Natural satellites (moons)
- Planetary rings
- Planets of the solar system
- Mercury
- Venus
- Earth
- Mars
- Jupiter
- Saturn
- Uranus
- Neptune
- Features
- Dwarf planets
Small solar system bodies
- Asteroids
- Minor planets
- Category:Asteroid groups and families
- Trans-Neptunian objects
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
- Molecular cloud
- Bok globule
- Young stellar object
- Herbig–Haro object
- Hayashi track
- Hayashi limit
- Henyey track
- Orion variable
- T Tauri star
- FU Orionis star
- Herbig Ae/Be
- Luminosity class
- Stellar classification
- O-type main-sequence star
- B-type main-sequence star
- A-type main-sequence star
- F-type main-sequence star
- G-type main-sequence star
- K-type main-sequence star
- M-type main-sequence star
- Be star
- OB star
- Subdwarf B star
- Late-type star
- Peculiar star
- Am star
- Ap and Bp stars
- Rapidly oscillating Ap star
- Barium star
- Carbon star
- CH star
- Extreme helium star
- Lambda Boötis star
- Lead star
- Mercury-manganese star
- S-type star
- Shell star
- Technetium star
- Remnants
- White dwarf
- Black dwarf
- Helium planet
- Neutron star
- Stellar black hole
- Compact star
- Stellar core: EF Eridani
- White dwarf
- Failed and theoretical stars
- Substellar object
- Boson star
- Dark star
- Quasistar
- Thorne–Żytkow object
- Iron star
- Stellar nucleosynthesis
- Alpha process
- Triple-alpha process
- Proton–proton chain reaction
- Helium flash
- CNO cycle
- Lithium burning
- Carbon-burning process
- Neon-burning process
- Oxygen-burning process
- Silicon-burning process
- S-process
- R-process
- Fusor
- Nova
- 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
- Historical 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
- Cepheid variable
- Type II Cepheids
- RR Lyrae variable
- Delta Scuti variable
- SX Phoenicis variable
- Blue-white with early spectra
- Beta Cephei variable
- PV Telescopii variable
- Long Period and Semiregular
- = Mira variable
- Semiregular variable
- Slow irregular variable
- Other
- Cepheids and cepheid-like
- Eruptive
- Pre-main sequence star
- Herbig Ae/Be
- Orion variable
- FU Orionis star
- Main Sequence
- Giants and supergiants
- Eruptive binary
- Cataclysmic or explosive
- Cataclysmic variable star
- Dwarf nova
- Nova
- Supernova
- Z Andromedae
- Pre-main sequence star
- 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
- Classes
- Related
- Near-Earth supernova
- Supernova impostor
- Hypernova
- Quark-nova
- Pulsar kicks
- Structure
- Progenitors
- Remnants
- [[Discovery
- Notable
- List of supernovae
- List of supernova remnants
- List of supernova candidates
- List of most massive stars
- Supernovae in fiction
- SN 1054
- Supergiant
- Tycho's
- Kepler's
- SN 1987A
- SN 185
- SN 1006
- SN 2003fg
- Vela Supernova Remnant
- Remnant G1.9+0.3
- SN 2007bi
- Research
Black holes
- Types
- Size
- Formation
- Stellar evolution
- Gravitational collapse
- Neutron star (Template:neutron star)
- Compact star (Quark star
- Exotic 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
Constellation history
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–17th c.
▶ 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 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
- Interstellar matter –
- Nebula –
- Crab Nebula –
- H I region –
- H II region –
- Orion nebula –
- Planetary nebula –
- Pleiades –
Star Star system Bound Galaxy · Dwarf galaxy · Star cluster ( Globular cluster · Open cluster ) · Star system ( Binary star · Star system )Unbound Visual grouping Galaxies
Milky Way Location List of Milky Way's satellite galaxies → Local Group → Virgo Supercluster → Pisces-Cetus Supercluster Complex → Observable universe → UniverseGalactic core Spiral arms List of Milky Way's satellite galaxies Sagittarius Stream · Boötes II · Coma Berenices · Messier 54 · Palomar 12 · Segue 1 · Segue 2 · Terzan 7Boötes I · Boötes III · Canes Venatici I · Canes Venatici II · Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy · Carina Dwarf · Draco Dwarf · Fornax Dwarf · Hercules · Leo I · Leo II · Leo IV · Leo V · Phoenix Dwarf Galaxy · Pisces I · Pisces II · Sculptor Dwarf Galaxy · Sextans Dwarf Spheroidal · Ursa Major I Dwarf · Ursa Major II Dwarf · Ursa Minor DwarfOtherCosmology
- Big Bang –
- Cosmic microwave background –
- Cosmos –
- Dark matter –
- Cosmic distance ladder –
- Hubble constant –
- Olber's paradox –
- Universe –
Cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) Effects Cosmic variance · Diffusion damping · Sachs–Wolfe effect · Sunyaev–Zel'dovich effect · Recombination · Thomson scattering
Full-sky temperature map taken by NASA's Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP)|Space-based
experimentsCosmic Background Explorer · CMBPol · Planck · RELIKT-1 · Sky Polarization Observatory · Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe
Balloon
experimentsArcheops · BOOMERanG experiment · The E and B Experiment · Millimeter Anisotropy eXperiment IMaging Array · QMAP · Spider · TopHat
Ground-based
experimentsAtacama B-Mode Search · Arcminute Cosmology Bolometer Array Receiver · Atacama Cosmology Telescope · Arcminute Microkelvin Imager · AMiBA · APEX-SZ · Background Imaging of Cosmic Extragalactic Polarization · BICEP2 · Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland Association · Cosmic Anisotropy Polarization Mapper · Cosmic Anisotropy Telescope · Cosmic Background Imager · Clover · COSMOSOMAS · Degree Angular Scale Interferometer · GUBBINS · Keck Array · Mobile Anisotropy Telescope · OCRA · OVRO · QUaD · QUIET · QUIJOTE · Robinson Gravitational Wave Background Telescope · Saskatoon experiment · South Pole Telescope · Sunyaev–Zel'dovich Array · Tenerife Experiment · Very Small Array
Space exploration
Organizations
List of space agencies Africa North AfricaSub-SaharanAmericas North AmericaCanadian 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) · NASASouth AmericaComisión 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 · Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency · National Commission for Aerospace Research & Development · Aeronautics & Space Research and Diffusion Center · Agencia Bolivariana para Actividades Espaciales · Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones CientíficasAsia East AsiaChina 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 OrganizationSoutheast AsiaNational 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 CommissionSouth AsiaSpace 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 AgencySouthwest AsiaAzerbaijan National Aerospace Agency1 · Iran Aviation Industries Organization · Iranian Space Agency · Israel Space Agency · National Committee for Space Research · TÜBİTAK UZAYCentral AsiaEurope 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 Ukraine1Oceania 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 AffairsBooks and publications
- Almagest –
- Astronomia Nova –
- Astronomical Journal –
- Astrophysical Journal –
- BD Catalogue –
- De Revolutionibus –
- Henry Draper Catalogue –
- Isaac Asimov's Guide to Earth and Space –
- Messier Catalogue –
- New General Catalogue –
- Principia –
Astronomers
See also: List of astronomers- Walter Baade –
- Friedrich Bessel –
- Tycho Brahe –
- Annie Jump Cannon –
- Alvan Clark –
- Nicholas Copernicus –
- Galileo –
- George Ellery Hale –
- William Herschel –
- Edwin Hubble | Jacobus Kapteyn –
- Johannes Kepler –
- Gerard Kuiper –
- Henrietta Leavitt –
- Isaac Newton –
- Edward C. Pickering –
- Ptolemy –
- Henry Norris Russell –
- Harlow Shapley –
See also
- Planet
- Star cluster
- Stellar association
- Open cluster
- Globular cluster
- Galaxy
- Supercluster
- Helioseismology
- Guest star
- Constellation
- Asterism
- Gravitation
- Intergalactic star
- Infrared dark cloud
References
- ^ "astrophysics". Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/astrophysics. Retrieved 2011-05-22.
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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