subject: Astronomy - The Subdisciplines And Tendencies Of Science [print this page] Ever since the mankind and human culture existed we have been looking at the stars above us fascinated by their beauty and their mystery. That is why the research of astronomy was well-known since ancient times and is developing at present.
Astronomy aims at researching heaven bodies, their movement, inner structure, development and the systems they belong to - up to the question of the Universe structure. Thus the subject of the discipline involves, for example, Sun as well as other stars, planets with their satellites, asteroids, comets, pulsars as well as quasars, galaxies as well as nebulae and others.
Present astronomy has developed into a wide range of sciences concerning the objects of space. The important subcategories within the study of astronomy are the following.
1.Astrophysics - the science which researches physical qualities of celestial objects as well as processes which happen in the Universe. Theoretical astrophysics is the branch of astrophysics that looks for the explanation and modeling of the events in the space from the opinion of physics. It consists of such subfields as exoplanet studies, galactic and extragalactic astronomy, stellar astronomy, plasma as well as high energy astrophysics plus some others.
2.Planetary science that includes such subdisciplines as solar physics, planetary formation study, atmosphere and also magnetosphere studies, planetary surfaces as well as small Solar system bodies. Planetary science focuses mostly upon the objects of Solar system and the bodies found close to the system.
3.Observation astronomy is the branch of astronomical science which aims at the examination and observations of the processes occurring in the outer space by space radiations analysis. Observation astronomy works with the practical concerns of astronomy as well as the technologies and techniques of celestial body analysis.
4.Astrometry that studies the visible movement of heaven bodies which includes the sciences of basic astrometry and also spherical astronomy and makes use of the data obtained by observation astronomy.
