If you have a passion for astronomy, telescopes, Hubble and the atmosphere and what we call “astronomy”, you are not alone. Yes, we do know that astronomy is a highly respected science that has produced some of the most amazing discoveries made in the twentieth century. In addition, it is a thriving place of interest and one of the most entertaining places with thousands of star clubs and tens of thousands of astronomers watching the stars every night as we do.
But did you know that astronomy is one of the oldest and most respected sciences? From pre-Christian times, the wise and prudent men of that day looked for omens in the stars and found ways to trace and paint them. We who love the hobby of astronomy can write the proud history of astronomers that traces the millenniums and all cultures of civilization. So in order to have the best trivia you can find in a star club next week, let's highlight some of the biggest moments in astronomy history.
For centuries astronomy did not detract from the practice of astrology. To be clear, astronomy is the study of stars, planets, and the universe in a clear scientific way. Astrology is the study of the signs of the zodiac and how they affect our growth, our personality, and our daily life. In modern times, we as scientists have downplayed the astronomical phenomenon and focused on the astronomical science. But they were the same subject for a thousand years before the scientific era separated them.
There is historical evidence that astronomy was a well-known science dating back to the Babylonian civilization centuries before Christ. But astrology was not limited to one country. Similar movements took place in China, India, and ancient Egypt and throughout the Arabian Peninsula. The connection between astrology and religion is so widespread that we can see it in the Christmas story when the Magi, a Zoroastrian priesthood from as far away as ancient Syria, followed a star to a child of Christ. These astronomers were also astronomers and it was the mixture that led them to be part of this historic event.
The first book of astronomy was written by Ptolemy during the Hellenistic period. From that landmark book, who's who lists the great astronomers paving the way for modern science including Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Sir Issac Newton, Jung, Michelangelo, Benjamin Franklin and more recently Einstein and Stephen Hawkings will join that. good list. It seemed that from the revival to the present day, almost any very intelligent man or woman was involved in astronomy at least in some way and has always been regarded as a symbol of the astrologers and astronomers.
Astronomy has affected many areas of our lives that we do not really see. Many words in our language come from astronomy such as ...
* Influenza from the Latin root word meaning influence. This suggests the first belief that the shape of the moon and the stars could influence the health and well-being of humans.
* Tragedy comes from a Latin word meaning “evil star”.
* Lunatic with roots of the word "Luna" which is a Latin word meaning moon. This highlights the long-held belief that morally and even wild and dangerous behavior is commonplace during the full moon.
Astronomy and its connection with astrology have had a profound effect on culture, education, and religion on a grand scale over the centuries. In the English language, for the first two days or our week, Sunday and Monday refer to astronomy as their literal interpretations can be “Sun Day” and “Moon Day.”
So if you find astronomy becoming a curiosity in your thoughts and what impresses you about the world we live in, you are well connected as this place of learning has been a major part of culture and thought from the beginning of civilization. And it will continue to impress mankind as long as those beautiful stars shine upon our heads.
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