Astronomy
What is Astronomy?
The
spatial and temporal realm of astronomy is vast. The subject
concerned with the actions of the smallest particles of the quantum
world and it relates to the largest scale structures in the cosmos.
It encompasses all that has transpired since the beginning of time,
and it speculates upon the future fate of the Universe. Astronomy
weaves an astounding tale with verses that touch upon, and span the
range, from transient flashes of shooting stars that ablate in the
Earth's upper atmosphere on a summer's night, to the dark, still
unfathomed mysteries of black holes, gamma-ray bursters and the
origins and structure of galaxies and clusters of galaxies. Astronomy
is also concerned with the physics of construction: the origin of the
Earth, the Sun, the stars, the Galaxy, the Universe, life itself. It
also embraces ultimate endings, from 'sun-diving' comets to
aging stars, to supernova and the dispersal of clusters of stars.
What is astronomy? It is the scientific story of the heavens that
stretch above our very heads.