The astronomy is the branch of science that aims to study the stars, planets, satellites and all the bodies that exist in the universe and how they relate to each other. Among the main aspects that are evaluated through various observation methods of this science, are the position, composition and movement of celestial bodies, in most cases oriented to how they could affect planet Earth.
What is astronomy
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It is the science that is responsible for studying the bodies contained in the Universe, but astronomy cannot have a meaning without involving other sciences and disciplines, such as physics, astrophysics, cosmology, chemistry, biology, astrobiology, planetary geology and climatology, astronautics, among others.
All of them combined, help to have a definition of astronomy, since the latter uses them to obtain a wide range of analysis of the phenomena that take place in the entire known Universe so far.
For an accurate understanding of what astronomy is, which its root comes from the Latin and Greek "astron" (stars) and "nomia" (rule, norm), the presence of instruments that have developed over the centuries is needed. great astronomers who have contributed their knowledge to this science, and who have allowed the observation of celestial bodies and their study.
What astronomy studies
This studies the information that arrives through electromagnetic radiation or some other means, as well as stars, planets, satellites, comets, meteorites, among others, and also the systems that exist, such as the case of planetary systems, galaxies, nebulae, star clusters, dark matter, gas and dust.
Similarly, the definition of astronomy includes the study of the laws that govern the movement of celestial bodies, to reach revealing conclusions on this subject, for example, that the Universe (which, paradoxically, is understood to be infinite) expands.
Astronomers in the same way study the composition, structure, behavior and dynamics of each body, the possibility of harboring life, or determining how long it has been in existence and how its evolution has been through 13,800 million years. that have determined that our Universe exists.
This science is divided into several sub-branches that complement it: position astronomy, the oldest, which studies the movement of the stars in our celestial vault through angular measurements; the celestial mechanics, studying the incidence of gravity between celestial bodies and how they influence each other; the astrophysics, studying the structure and composition of the stars; and cosmology, which studies the origin, structure and evolution of the Universe.
It should be noted that there are more specific fields of study within this science, such as extragalactic, galactic, stellar astronomy, astrometry, stellar evolution, star formation, planetary sciences and astrobiology.
The origin of astronomy
In ancient times, scientists such as Aristotle, Nicolás Copernicus or Galileo Galilei, made great contributions to it. But really, it goes back to the first civilizations, which made observations to the celestial vault at night to record the movements of the stars in it.
These civilizations, such as the Greek, Chinese, Iranian and Mayan, looked with interest towards specific objects in the sky, such as the Sun, the Moon and the stars, which awakened the thirst for knowledge about the phenomena that revolved around to them.
One of the civilizations that stood out the most in this field was the Maya, whose contributions are valid to this day and were promoters of humanity's interest in the stars.
Mayan astronomy
This civilization developed in Central America, between Mexico and El Salvador, and its knowledge acquired during its existence has astonished humanity for millennia. In this case, astronomy has been one of the main fields of study where said empire made contributions.
The Mayan astronomy, from the outset, was based on direct observation of the stars and all that was seen in the sky, placing particular emphasis on the perception of cycling through time, which allowed to calculate them accurately cycles annual, to know when it was due to perform their ritual festivities, among other temporal reference points.
The central axis of observation in Mayan astronomy was the Milky Way. This also allowed them to perform orbital periodicity calculations for planets like Saturn, Mercury, Mars, Venus, and Jupiter, as well as the lunar and solar periods. All these data helped them to form one of the most iconic instruments of humanity, such as calendars.
One of them was the Tzol'kin, which lasted 260 days, although scholars of the subject do not agree on the real reason for this duration. One of the hypotheses indicates that it corresponds to the gestational period of the human being, which lasts approximately this period of time; while others claim that the motif corresponds to the cycle of the sun through the zenith of southern Mexico in the state of Chiapas on April 29, and northern Guatemala on August 13), with an interval of 260 days between both dates.
The Long Count calendar was one of the best known in Mayan astronomy, even by today's society. It consisted of a time calculation based on history, astrology, astronomy, cosmology and mythology, which was said that an era ended on December 21, 2012, so many people thought that the world would end on that date. Another well-known calendar was the Haab ', which consisted of 365 days, 18 or 19 months, and five days left at the end of the year.
Knowledge on this subject was exclusive to the priests, so the people had reverence for the announcements they gave, as a result of their observations. Thanks to this, they knew when an eclipse would occur or when the planet Venus would be observed from Earth. They attributed these phenomena to divine deities, and when they learned about these phenomena, the people respected them.
One of the historical contributions that the Mayan culture provided was a codex, which were species of astronomy books, and said civilization collected its data in the Dresden Code, which contains tables of the calendars that they developed, as well as data collected of their discoveries.
Several of these are almanacs and cycles of rain, winter, meteorological and agricultural cycles, among others. Similarly, it contains illustrations of gods and how they were, according to their beliefs, related to planetary positions. These contributions are a vital part in the history of astronomy.
Astronomy tools and instruments
For the common observer, it will be enough only to raise his eyes to the sky, since there are cosmic phenomena that are observed with the naked eye. For those who want to observe a little further, a telescope will suffice.
This science is one of the few in which an amateur can have an active participation in it, since there are various instruments available to them, which will allow them to observe the stars and, for example, discover a meteorite or some kind of celestial body, information that you can communicate to the astronomical community.
But for astronomers, whose work is oriented to the exhaustive investigation of the cosmos and everything that is in it, high-tech instruments are needed that allow them to reach beyond what humanity has managed to discover. Some of these instruments are:
- Telescope.
There are several types of this artifact, among which, we can highlight radio telescopes, Galileo telescope, reflector telescope, infrared radiation, space, ultraviolet, refractor, optical, solar and reflector.
Astronomical devices older than the civilizations on record have been discovered, so the telescope is said to have been created long before astronomy as it is known today.
- Artificial satellites.
They are man-made stations that are trapped by Earth's gravity and surround the Earth. These exist with different functions and objectives, as for example, to measure the ultraviolet spectrum; or those that serve as space observatories.
- Photometer.
It is used to measure the intensity and variations of light and allows to calculate its exact exposure, from one hundredth of a magnitude. This device is not only available to professional astronomers, but thanks to technology, it can be accessed by amateurs.
- Spectroscope.
It is a device that decomposes light into its different wavelengths, which allows observing the same phenomena from different perspectives, and in this way it is possible to know their chemical composition, temperature, density, among other aspects, of them.
- Astronomical filter.
It is a device that allows modifying the amount of radiation emitted by the light of a celestial body, as well as its quality. Its main function is to allow the passage of certain wavelengths of light. There are filters to abstract certain light waves and according to it, observe some specific phenomenon; in the same way, those that absorb all wavelengths of light if the body is very bright, called neutral filters; or those interference filters, which are monochromatic.
- Digital cameras.
Photography, especially digital in these times, has made it possible to have visual records of the discoveries that have been acquired. This has evolved wonderfully for this science, as considerable improvements have been made from the collected images of planets and other bodies.
A notable example is the updating of the photograph of Pluto, whose first photographs were diffuse and now, with the technological advance of photography, a more precise definition of its surface has been obtained. Another example is the photography of a black hole, which was made possible by the great innovations in cosmic photography.
- Computers
These devices have been useful for all fields of study in science, and in them various programs can be executed, such as simulators, theoretical and numerical models, computations, data recording and transmission, among other functions.
How to study astronomy in Mexico
There is more than one astronomy institute in Mexico where this fascinating discipline of science can be followed. Although there is no astronomy career in the country, there are at least seven institutes dedicated to this science, and there are masters and doctorates in two important institutions, such as the Astronomy Institute UNAM.
Among the research areas to which these centers are dedicated are Interstellar Formation, Interstellar Medium, Stellar Astrophysics, Cosmology, Extragalactic Astronomy, Galactic Structure, Stellar Dynamics, Radioastronomy, Observational Cosmology, Turbulence, Active Galaxies, Compact Stars.
These are aimed at professionals with degrees in Physics and Mathematics, as well as engineers in Industrial Physics and the like.
Differences between astronomy and astrology
At first, the term astrology referred to the study of the stars, their movement and their influence on the Earth and human beings. However, with the arrival of the scientific method in the 16th century, what is now known as "astronomy" became known and "astrology" took on another meaning.
Despite their similar names, there are great and marked differences between astronomy and astrology. The most prominent are the following:
Astronomy
- It is a science.
- It is based on observation and the scientific method.
- It helps to predict future events of the position of the stars or of future events of the same.
- His field of study encompasses the entire cosmos.
- Use logic and deduction from the observable.
- Astronomers are scientists.
Astrology
- It is a pseudo-scientific belief.
- It is based on an unproven belief system.
- It claims that the position of the stars and their events help predict the future of man.
- It is limited to the solar system.
- Use intuition and superstition.
- Astrologers are fortune tellers.
