subject: Astronomy - The Subdisciplines and Tendencies of Science [print this page] Astronomy - The Subdisciplines and Tendencies of Science
Ever since the humankind and human culture existed we have been looking at the stars above us captivated by their beauty and their mystery. That is why the investigation of astronomy was known since ancient times and is developing today. Astronomy aims at studying heaven bodies, their movement, inner structure, development and the systems they are part of - up to the question of the Universe structure. Thus the subject of the discipline includes, for instance, Sun as well as other stars, planets with the satellites, asteroids, comets, pulsars and quasars, galaxies as well as nebulae etc. Current astronomy has developed into a broad range of sciences concerning the objects of space. The important subcategories within the study of astronomy are as follows. 1.Astrophysics - the science that studies physical characteristics of celestial objects as well as processes which take place in the Galaxy. Theoretical astrophysics is the branch of astrophysics that searches for the explanation and modeling of the events in the space from the point of view of physics. It consists of such subfields as exoplanet studies, galactic and extragalactic astronomy, stellar astronomy, plasma and high energy astrophysics and others. 2.Planetary science that includes such subdisciplines as solar physics, planetary formation study, atmosphere as well as magnetosphere studies, planetary surfaces and small Solar system bodies. It concentrates mostly on the objects of Solar system plus the bodies found close to our system. 3.Observation astronomy is the branch of astronomical science that aims at the examination and observations of the procedures occurring in the space by space radiations analysis. Observation astronomy works with the practical issues of astronomy as well as the technologies and methods of celestial body analysis. 4.Astrometry which studies the visible movement of heaven bodies that includes the sciences of essential astrometry and spherical astronomy and uses the facts acquired by observation astronomy.
