For some time there was no such subject as astronomy in the school curriculum. Now this discipline is included in the compulsory curriculum. Astronomy is being studied in different schools in different ways. Sometimes this discipline first appears in the schedule of the seventh graders, and in some educational institutions it is taught only in the 11th grade. Schoolchildren have a question about why it is necessary to learn this subject, astronomy? Let's find out what kind of science it is and how knowledge about space can be useful to us in life?
The concept of the science of astronomy and the subject of its study
Astronomy is the natural science of the universe. The subject of its study are cosmic phenomena, processes and objects. Thanks to this science, we know what stars, planets, satellites, comets, asteroids, meteorites are. Astronomical knowledge also gives the concept of space, the location of celestial bodies, their movement and the formation of their systems.
Astronomy is the science that explains the incomprehensible phenomena that are an integral part of our life.
The origin and development of astronomy
The very first ideas of man about the universe were very primitive. They were based on religious beliefs. People thought that the Earth is the center of the universe, and that the stars are attached to the solid sky.
In the further development of this science, several stages are distinguished, each of which is called the astronomical revolution.
The first such coup occurred at different times in different regions of the world. The approximate beginning of its implementation is 1500 BC. The cause of the first revolution was the development of mathematical knowledge, and the result was the emergence of spherical astronomy, astrometry and accurate calendars. The main achievement of this period was the emergence of the geocentric theory of the world, which became the result of ancient knowledge.
The second revolution in astronomy took place between the 16th and 17th centuries. It was caused by the rapid development of the natural sciences and the emergence of new knowledge about nature. During this period, the laws of physics began to be used to explain astronomical processes and phenomena.
The main achievements of this stage in the development of astronomy are the substantiation of the laws of planetary motion and universal gravitation, the invention of the optical telescope, the discovery of new planets, asteroids, star systems, the emergence of the first cosmological hypotheses.
Further, the development of space science accelerated. A new technique was invented to aid in astronomical research. The opportunity to study the chemical composition of celestial bodies confirmed the unityof all outer space.
The third astronomical revolution took place in the 70-90s of the twentieth century. It was due to the progress of technology and technology. At this stage, all-wave, experimental and corpuscular astronomy appears. This means that now all space objects can be viewed with the help of electromagnetic waves emitted by them, corpuscular radiation.
Subsections of astronomy
As we can see, astronomy is an ancient science, and in the process of long development it has acquired a branched, sectoral structure. The conceptual basis of classical astronomy is its three subsections:
- Theoretical astronomy is a science that studies the movement of celestial bodies in orbits. It determines the position of the orbits by the current location of the planet.
- Astrometry takes space and time as the basis of its teachings. Using mathematical methods, it determines the apparent positions and movement of space objects. Studying the change in the coordinates of space bodies.
- Celestial mechanics considers the laws of motion of objects in space and their construction into systems.
Besides these main sections, there are also:
- astrophysics;
- stellar astronomy;
- cosmogony;
- cosmology.
New trends and modern trends in astronomy
Recently, due to the acceleration of the development of many sciences, progressive industries have begun to appear that are engaged in rather specific research in the field ofastronomy.
- Gamma-ray astronomy studies space objects by their radiation.
- X-ray astronomy, similarly to the previous branch, takes X-rays that come from celestial bodies as the basis for research.
Basic concepts in astronomy
What are the basic concepts of this science? In order for us to study astronomy in depth, we need to familiarize ourselves with the basics.
Space is a collection of stars and interstellar space. In fact, this is the Universe.
A planet is a specific celestial body that orbits around a star. This name is given only to heavy objects that are able to acquire a rounded shape under the influence of their own gravity.
A star is a massive spherical object, consisting of gases, within which thermonuclear reactions take place. The closest and most famous star to us is the Sun.
A satellite in astronomy is a celestial body revolving around an object that is larger and held by gravity. Satellites are natural - for example, the Moon, as well as artificially created by man and launched into orbit to broadcast the necessary information.
Galaxy is a gravitational bundle of stars, their clusters, dust, gas and dark matter. All objects in the galaxy move relative to its center.
A nebula in astronomy is an interstellar space that has a characteristic radiation and stands out against the general background of the sky. Before the advent of powerfultelescopic instruments of the galaxy are often confused with nebulae.
Declination in astronomy is a characteristic inherent in every celestial body. This is the name of one of the two coordinates, reflecting the angular distance from the cosmic equator.
Modern terminology of the science of astronomy
Innovative study methods discussed earlier contributed to the emergence of new astronomical terms:
“Exotic” objects are sources of optical, x-ray, radio and gamma radiation in space.
Quasar - in simple words, it is a star with strong radiation. Its power may be greater than that of an entire galaxy. We see such an object in a telescope even at a great distance.
A neutron star is the last stage in the evolution of a celestial body. This space object has an unimaginable density. For example, the stuff that makes up a neutron star that fits in a teaspoon would weigh 110 million tons.
Relationship between astronomy and other sciences
Astronomy is a science that is closely related to various knowledge. She draws on the achievements of many industries in her research.
Problems of the distribution of chemical elements and their compounds on Earth and in space is the link between chemistry and astronomy. In addition, scientists are of great interest in the study of chemical processes occurring in outer space.
Earth can be considered as one of the planets of the solar system - this expresses the connectionastronomy with geography and geophysics. The relief of the globe, ongoing climatic and seasonal weather changes, magnetic storms, warming, ice ages - geographers use astronomical knowledge to study all these and many more phenomena.
What became the basis for the origin of life? This is a question common to biology and astronomy. The joint works of these two sciences are aimed at solving the dilemma of the emergence of living organisms on planet Earth.
An even closer relationship between astronomy and ecology, which considers the problem of the influence of cosmic processes on the Earth's biosphere.
Methods of observations in astronomy
The basis for collecting information in astronomy is observation. What are the ways to observe processes and objects in space, and what tools are currently used for these purposes?
With the naked eye, we can see several thousand stars in the sky, but sometimes it seems that we see a whole million or a billion luminous bright points. The sight itself is breathtaking, although magnification can reveal more interesting things.
Even ordinary binoculars with the possibility of eight times increase gives a chance to see a myriad of celestial bodies, and ordinary stars that we see with the naked eye become much brighter. The most interesting object for contemplation through binoculars is the Moon. Even at low magnification, some craters can be seen.
The telescope makes it possible to see not just spots of the season the moon. By observing the starry sky with this device, you can study all the features of the relief of the earth's satellite. Also, the eyes of the observer open up to this moment invisible rings of Saturn, distant galaxies and nebulae.
Contemplation of the starry sky through a telescope is not only a very exciting activity, but sometimes quite useful for science. Many astronomical discoveries were made not by research institutes, but by simple amateurs.
The importance of astronomy for man and society
Astronomy is an interesting and useful science at the same time. Nowadays, astronomical methods and instruments are used for:
- weather forecasting;
- implementation of maritime and aviation navigation;
- setting the exact dates of historical events;
- cartographic image of the planet, construction of topographic maps.
Instead of afterword
Given all of the above, no one can doubt the usefulness and necessity of astronomy. This science helps to better understand all aspects of human existence. She gave us knowledge about the origin of life on Earth and opened up access to interesting information.
With the help of astronomical research, we can study our planet in more detail, as well as gradually move deeper into the Universe in order to learn more and more about the space around us.
