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Astronomy (Greek: αστρονομία = άστρον + νόμος, astronomia = astron + nomos, literally, "law of the stars") is the science of celestial objects (e.g., stars, planets, comets, and galaxies) and phenomena that originate outside the Earth's atmosphere (e.g., auroras and cosmic background radiation). It is concerned with the evolution, physics, chemistry, and motion of celestial objects, as well as the formation and development of the universe.

Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences. Astronomers of early civilizations performed methodical observations of the night sky, and astronomical artifacts have been found from much earlier periods. However, it required the invention of the telescope before astronomy developed into a modern science.

Since the 20th century, the field of professional astronomy has split into observational astronomy and theoretical astrophysics. Observational astronomy is concerned with acquiring data, which involves building and maintaining instruments, as well as processing the results. Theoretical astrophysics is concerned with ascertaining the observational implications of computer or analytic models. The two fields complement each other, with theoretical astronomy seeking to explain the observational results. Astronomical observations can be used to test fundamental theories in physics, such as general relativity.

Historically, amateur astronomers have contributed to many important astronomical discoveries, and astronomy is one of the few sciences where amateurs can still play an active role, especially in the discovery and observation of transient phenomena.

Modern astronomy is not to be confused with astrology, the belief system that claims human affairs are correlated with the positions of celestial objects. Although the two fields share a common origin, most thinkers in both fields believe they are now distinct.[1]

and

Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties (luminosity, density, temperature and chemical composition) of celestial objects such as stars, galaxies, and the interstellar medium, as well as their interactions. The study of cosmology is theoretical astrophysics at the largest scales.

Because it is a very broad subject, astrophysicists typically apply many disciplines of physics including, but not limited to, mechanics, electromagnetism, statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, relativity, nuclear and particle physics, and atomic and molecular physics. In practice, modern astronomical research involves a substantial amount of physics. The name of a university's department ("astrophysics" or "astronomy") often has to do more with the department's history than with the contents of the programs. Astrophysics can be studied at the bachelors, masters, and Ph.D. levels in aerospace engineering or physics departments at many universities.

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2006-10-09 23:10:01 · answer #1 · answered by catzpaw 6 · 8 0

Astronomy Vs Astrophysics

2016-10-28 11:03:43 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0 0

Astrophysics is the part of astronomy that deals principally with physics of the universe, including luminosity, density, temperature, and the chemical composition of stars, galaxies, and the interstellar medium.

On the other hand astronomy is the scientific study of matter in outer space, especially the positions, distribution, motion, composition, energy, and evolution of celestial bodies and phenomena.

Technically speaking, astronomy is the science of measuring the positions and characteristics of heavenly bodies, and astrophysics is the application of physics to understand astronomy. However, nowadays, the two terms are more or less interchangeable since all astronomers use physics to understand their findings.

2006-10-10 00:26:59 · answer #3 · answered by Lutfor 3 · 1 0

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RE:
What is the difference between astronomy and astrophysics?

2015-08-14 22:00:16 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Astronomy is studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole it's a branch of physics
and
Astrophysics deals principally with the physics of stars, stellar systems, and interstellar material. it's a branch of astronomy

2006-10-09 22:53:36 · answer #5 · answered by hot_ice 2 · 0 0

Astronomy is the branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole

Astrophysics is the part of astronomy that deals principally with the physics of stars, stellar systems, and interstellar material.

2006-10-09 22:42:33 · answer #6 · answered by Moe J 2 · 4 1

Traditionally astronomy has been more observational in scope while astrophysics is more analytical. Thus astronomers look through telescope while astrophysicists model data. The distinctions are much more blurred now and most astronomers/astrophysicists do both

2006-10-09 23:12:25 · answer #7 · answered by veerabhadrasarma m 7 · 1 0

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astronomy is the study of the universe. astrophysics is the study of how the universe works, and the laws that take place thereof.

2016-03-29 07:58:19 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

As astrophysics is a subspecialty of astronomy it may be said that:

"All astrophysicists are astronomers, but not all astronomers are astrophysicists."

2006-10-09 22:52:53 · answer #9 · answered by lampoilman 5 · 2 1

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2006-10-09 22:43:39 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0 1

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