Astronomy

Introduction

On a clear summer night in the country, the stars illuminate the sky seemingly by the billions. Children and even some adults watch for shooting stars to rip through the night and grant them their ever wishes. From the moon to the stars, to the distant planets, this in one way or another is astronomy. This paper will continue to discuss the meaning of astronomy and also explain some roles that mathematics, religion, and astrology play and has played in the development of modern astronomy.

What is Astronomy?

In a nutshell, astronomy is the study of the universe outside of the earth's atmosphere. Astronomy is not to be confused with the practices of astrology, and doesn't predict the future, or dictate ones path. Astronomy, through studies and scientific developments, attempts to explain the evolution of the universe. Through these studies scientists continue to uncover the universes past as well as where it may lie in the future. Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences and has been around for thousands of years. Evidence has shown that even prehistoric man has studied and documented the different phases of the universe and its continuing changes with the seasons. As time passes however, technology continues to progress, allowing man to study the universe in great detail. With this technology we can get a better understanding of the sun, other planets surfaces, and even study the paths comets take during their infinite travel. These technological advances feed mans desire to know what's beyond the clouds, and what makes the universe 'click'. The development of astronomy doesn't just lie with technology. Other factors have a key position in the sciences progress. Below, the next sections will cover three of these key roles.

Mathematics

The role of mathematics has also played a huge part in astronomy past and present. Ancient civilizations used the stars and constellations to develop calendars which are still used today. In example, these calendars measured the earth's revolutions around the sun, and its rotations in a day, hence a year and a day.

During early travel, navigators used the rising and setting stars to find their way when land has disappeared. Stars were mostly important to the pacific islanders when they traveled from one point to the other. Surrounded by the oceans waters, there was no land to serve as a reference point. As time progressed, the observations and records of these star patterns provided a technique for navigation that has continued to be used throughout history and today.

Religion

Since the beginning, science has had a difficult relationship with religion. Religious principles and rationale have often times influenced scientific development, while scientific knowledge has in turn, had effects on religious beliefs.

Early cultures often identified space objects with gods and apparitions. They related these objects to occurrences such as rain, droughts, seasons, and tides. Ancient structures with astronomical alignments, such as Stonehenge, probably fulfilled both astronomical and religious functions. It is believed that the first astronomers were actually priests and that their understanding of the heavens was seen as godly, hence astronomy's ancient connection to what is now called astrology.

Astrology

As mentioned earlier astronomy, the study of the universe beyond the earth's atmosphere is highly accepted as a science and continues to be widely studied across the world. Astrology however, uses the position of celestial objects in regards to psychology, prediction