Outline of astronomy

Mauna Kea in Hawaii is one of the world's premier observatory sites. Pictured is the W. M. Keck Observatory, an optical interferometer.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to astronomy:

Astronomy – studies the universe beyond Earth, including its formation and development, and the evolution, physics, chemistry, meteorology, and motion of celestial objects (such as galaxies, planets, etc.) and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth (such as the cosmic background radiation).

Nature of astronomy

Astronomy can be described as all of the following:

An academic discipline: one with academic departments, curricula and degrees; national and international societies; and specialized journals.
A scientific field (a branch of science) – widely-recognized category of specialized expertise within science, and typically embodies its own terminology and nomenclature. Such a field will usually be represented by one or more scientific journals, where peer reviewed research is published.
- A natural science – one that seeks to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world using empirical and scientific methods.
  - A branch or field of space science –

Branches of astronomy

Astrophysics – branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior.^[1] Among the objects studied are galaxies, stars, planets, exoplanets, the interstellar medium and the cosmic microwave background; and the properties examined include luminosity, density, temperature, and chemical composition. The subdisciplines of theoretical astrophysics are:
- Astrobiology – studies the advent and evolution of biological systems in the universe.
- Compact objects – this subdiscipline studies very dense matter in white dwarfs and neutron stars and their effects on environments including accretion.
- Exoplanet studies – various planets outside of the Solar System
- Physical cosmology – origin and evolution of the universe as a whole. The study of cosmology is theoretical astrophysics at its largest scale.
- Galactic astronomy – deals with the structure and components of our galaxy and of other galaxies.
- High energy astrophysics – studies phenomena occurring at high energies including active galactic nuclei, supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, quasars, and shocks.
- Interstellar astrophysics – study of the interstellar medium, intergalactic medium and dust.
- Extragalactic astronomy – study of objects (mainly galaxies) outside our galaxy, including Galaxy formation and evolution.
- Stellar astronomy – concerned with Star formation, physical properties, main sequence life span, variability, stellar evolution and extinction.
- Plasma astrophysics – studies properties of plasma in outer space.
- Relativistic astrophysics – studies effects of special relativity and general relativity in astrophysical contexts including gravitational waves, gravitational lensing and black holes.

Planetary Science – study of the planets of the Solar System.
- Atmospheric science – study of atmospheres and weather.
- Planetary formation – formation of planets and moons in the context of the formation and evolution of the Solar System.
- Planetary rings – dynamics, stability, and composition of planetary rings
- Solar physics – Sun and its interaction with the remainder of the Solar System and interstellar space.
- Magnetospheres – magnetic fields of planets and moons
- Planetary surfaces – surface geology of planets and moons
- Planetary interiors – interior composition of planets and moons
- Small Solar System bodies – smallest gravitationally bound bodies, including asteroids, comets, and Kuiper belt objects.

The subdisciplines of observational astronomy are generally made by the specifications of the detectors:

Radio astronomy – Above 300 micrometres
Submillimetre astronomy – 200 µm to 1 mm
Infrared astronomy – 0.7–350 µm
Optical astronomy – 380–750 nm
Ultraviolet astronomy – 10–320 nm
X-ray astronomy – 0.01–10 nm
Gamma-ray astronomy – Below 0.01 nm
Cosmic ray astronomy – Cosmic rays, including plasma
Neutrino astronomy – Neutrinos
Gravitational wave astronomy – Gravitons

General techniques for astronomical research are also convenient ways of dividing the field:

Photometry – study of how bright celestial objects are when passed through different filters
Spectroscopy – study of the spectra of astronomical objects
Astrometry – study of the position of objects in the sky and their changes of position. Defines the system of coordinates used and the kinematics of objects in our galaxy.

Other disciplines that may be considered part of astronomy:

Archaeoastronomy –
Astrochemistry –

History of astronomy

Main article: History of astronomy

Basic astronomical phenomena

Instruments, measurement and units

Astronomical objects

Astronomical object

Solar system

The Sun, the planets, their moons, and several trans-Neptunian objects

Galilean satellites –
Halley's comet –

Sun

Sun –

Location
- Milky Way
  - Solar system
Stellar classification: Stellar classification#Class G
Internal structure
Stellar atmosphere
Solar variation
Heliosphere
Related phenomena
Equipment used to study the sun
- Solar telescope

Planets

Planets
- Features
  - Natural satellites (moons)
  - Planetary rings
- Planets of the solar system
- Mercury
- Venus
- Earth
  - Moon
- Mars
  - Moons of Mars
- Jupiter
  - Moons of Jupiter
  - Rings of Jupiter
- Saturn
  - Moons of Saturn
  - Rings of Saturn
- Uranus
  - Moons of Uranus
  - Rings of Uranus
- Neptune
  - Moons of Neptune
  - Rings of Neptune
Dwarf planets

Small solar system bodies

Small Solar System body

Stars and stellar objects

Stars

The 88 modern constellations

Constellation history

The 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy after 150 AD

The 41 additional constellations added in the 16th–17th c.

Vespucci or Corsalius early 16c: Crux
Triangulum Australe ▶ Vopel 1536: Coma Berenices ▶ Keyser & de Houtman 1596: Apus
Chamaeleon
Dorado
Grus
Hydrus
Indus
Musca
Pavo
Phoenix
Tucana
Volans ▶ Plancius 1613: Camelopardalis
Columba
Monoceros ▶ Habrecht 1621: Reticulum ▶ Hevelius 1683: Canes Venatici
Lacerta
Leo Minor
Lynx
Scutum
Sextans
Vulpecula ▶ de Lacaille 1763: Antlia
Caelum
Carina
Circinus
Fornax
Horologium
Mensa
Microscopium
Norma
Octans
Pictor
Puppis
Pyxis
Sculptor
Telescopium
Vela

Obsolete constellations including Ptolemy's Argo Navis

Obsolete constellations including Ptolemy's Argo Navis Anser

Clusters and nebulae

Galaxies

Cosmology

Space exploration

See: Outline of space exploration

Organizations

Public sector space agencies

Africa

North Africa

Sub-Saharan

Americas

North America

South America

Asia

East Asia

Southeast Asia

South Asia

Southwest Asia

Central Asia

Europe

Oceania

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

World

¹ Preceded by the Soviet space program

Books and publications

Almagest –
Astronomia Nova –
Astronomical Journal –
Astrophysical Journal –
BD Catalogue –
De Revolutionibus –
Henry Draper Catalogue –
Isaac Asimov's Guide to Earth and Space –
Messier Catalogue –
New General Catalogue –
Principia –

Astronomers

References

^ "astrophysics". Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Retrieved 2011-05-22.

External links

Astronomy Guide For reviews on astronomy products, how-to's and current events.
Astronomy Net Resources, forums (from 1995), articles on Astronomy.
International Year of Astronomy 2009 IYA2009 Main website
Cosmic Journey: A History of Scientific Cosmology from the American Institute of Physics
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Southern Hemisphere Astronomy
Sky & Telescope publishers
Astronomy Magazine
Latest astronomy news in 11 languages
Universe Today for astronomy and space-related news
Celestia Motherlode Educational site for Astronomical journeys through space
Search Engine for Astronomy
Hubblesite.org - home of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope
Astronomy - A History - G. Forbes - 1909 (eLibrary Project - eLib Text)
(historical)
Prof. Sir Harry Kroto, NL, Astrophysical Chemistry Lecture Series. 8 Freeview Lectures provided by the Vega Science Trust.
Core books and core journals in Astronomy, from the Smithsonian/NASA Astrophysics Data System

[1] "astrophysics". Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Retrieved 2011-05-22.

[1]

v t e Stellar systems
Bound	Galaxy Dwarf galaxy Star cluster Hypercompact stellar system Globular cluster Dark globular cluster Open cluster List of largest known star clusters Hypercompact stellar system Star system Binary star Planetary system
Unbound	Stellar stream Stellar association Moving group Runaway star Hypervelocity star
Visual grouping	Double star Multiple star Star cloud Asterism Constellation
Category:Star systems

v t e Galaxies
Morphology	Disc Lenticular barred unbarred Spiral anemic barred flocculent grand design intermediate Magellanic unbarred Dwarf galaxy elliptical irregular spheroidal spiral Elliptical galaxy cD Irregular barred Peculiar Ring Polar
Structure	Active galactic nucleus Bar Bulge Central massive object Galactic Center Dark matter halo Disc Disc galaxy Halo corona Galactic plane Galactic ridge Interstellar medium Protogalaxy Galaxy filament Spiral arm Supermassive black hole Ultramassive
Active nuclei	Blazar LINER Markarian Quasar BL Lacertae object Radio X-shaped DRAGN Relativistic jet Seyfert
Energetic galaxies	Lyman-alpha emitter Lyman-break Luminous infrared ULIRG HLIRG ELIRG Starburst blue compact dwarf pea faint blue Luminous infrared galaxy Hot dust-obscured Green bean galaxy Hanny's Voorwerp Wolf-Rayet galaxy
Low activity	Low surface brightness Ultra diffuse Dark galaxy Red nugget Blue Nugget Dead disk
Interaction	Field Galactic tide Groups and clusters group cluster Brightest cluster galaxy fossil group Interacting merger collision cannibalism Jellyfish Satellite Stellar stream Superclusters Walls Voids and supervoids void galaxy
Lists	Galaxies Galaxies named after people Largest Nearest Polar-ring Ring Spiral Groups and clusters Large quasar groups Quasars List of the most distant astronomical objects Starburst galaxies Superclusters Voids
See also	Extragalactic astronomy Galactic astronomy Galactic coordinate system Galactic habitable zone Galactic magnetic fields Galactic orientation Galactic quadrant Galaxy color–magnitude diagram Galaxy formation and evolution Galaxy rotation curve Gravitational lens Gravitational microlensing Illustris project Intergalactic dust Intergalactic stars Intergalactic travel Population III stars Galaxy X (galaxy)
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