Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The scientific study of matter and phenomena in the universe, especially in outer space, including the positions, dimensions, distribution, motion, composition, energy, and evolution of celestial objects.
  • noun A system of knowledge or beliefs about celestial phenomena.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The science which describes the heavenly bodies and explains their apparent motions, etc.
  • noun Astrological skill.
  • noun Several other branches of the science are recognized: gravitational astronomy or astronomical mechanics, replacing the term physical astronomy, which is now generally discarded because of the danger of confusion with astronomical physics or astrophysics; nautical astronomy, astronomy applied to navigation; sidereal astronomy, the branch of the science which deals with the stars; spheric astronomy, which treats of the apparent position and motions of bodies on the celestial sphere; theoretical astronomy, which deals with the calculation of orbits and perturbations. These various branches interlace in all directions.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun obsolete Astrology.
  • noun The science which treats of the celestial bodies, of their magnitudes, motions, distances, periods of revolution, eclipses, constitution, physical condition, and of the causes of their various phenomena.
  • noun A treatise on, or text-book of, the science.
  • noun See under Physical.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The study of the physical universe beyond the Earth's atmosphere, including the process of mapping locations and properties of the matter and radiation in the universe.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English astronomie, from Old French, from Latin astronomia, from Greek astronomiā : astro-, astro- + -nomiā, -nomy.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Old French astronomie, from Latin astronomia, from Ancient Greek ἀστρονομία (astronomia), from ἄστρον (astron, "star"), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr (“star”) + νόμος (nomos, "arranging, regulating"), related to νέμω (nemō, "I deal out").

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Examples

  • Shortly after Joe Haldeman received a Bachelor of Science degree in astronomy from the University of Maryland, he was drafted into the army where he served (and received a Purple Heart medal) as a combat engineer in Vietnam.

    MIND MELD: The Funniest Writers in the History of SF/F 2009

  • Shortly after Joe Haldeman received a Bachelor of Science degree in astronomy from the University of Maryland, he was drafted into the army where he served (and received a Purple Heart medal) as a combat engineer in Vietnam.

    MIND MELD: Which Authors and Books Have Most Influenced Your Writing? 2008

  • As a result, my trying to keep up with what's going on in astronomy is largely an internet affair.

    Archive 2006-05-01 JDsg 2006

  • As a result, my trying to keep up with what's going on in astronomy is largely an internet affair.

    Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 JDsg 2006

  • Your duties will consist of instructing others in that new science which you call astronomy and in applying it for the welfare of humanity.

    Lost on Venus Burroughs, Edgar Rice, 1875-1950 1935

  • The discovery of extrasolar planets -- one of the hardest things to do in astronomy -- has been especially replete with false alarms.

    Seth Shostak: Bye Bye to a Lovely Planet Seth Shostak 2010

  • Astronomycast is aimed at anyone interested in astronomy and is particularly good for people dipping their toes into the idea of learning a bit on their own.

    history of science 2010

  • (In homage to Nehru's interest in astronomy, the city's planetarium is next door.) 12: 10 A.M. INDIRA GANDHI

    City Walk: New Delhi John Krich 2010

  • And astronomy is building that map, and trying to help break down those boundaries of today.

    SciFi, Fantasy & Horror Collectibles - Part 1131 2009

  • In the mean time, astronomy is paving the path for ours and future generations to follow.

    SciFi, Fantasy & Horror Collectibles - Part 1131 2009

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