# astronomy

Pronunciation: say "uh-STRON-uh-mee" US /əˈstɹɑn.ə.mi/, UK /əˈstɹɒn.ə.mi/

## Noun

1. The study of the physical universe beyond Earth's atmosphere, including the mapping of where its matter and radiation lie and what properties they have.
   - Simple: The study of space beyond the air around Earth, including where things in it are and what they are like.
   - _Modern astronomy depends on telescopes in orbit as much as on those built on mountaintops._
   - _Her work in astronomy focuses on mapping how gas is spread between distant galaxies._

## Noun

2. Astrology: the reading of the positions of the stars and planets as signs that shape or foretell human affairs. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Astrology, the reading of the stars and planets to tell what will happen to people.
   - _The prince would not sign the treaty until his advisers had read his fortune by astronomy._
   - _In the old tale, a wandering scholar uses astronomy to foretell the fall of the city._

## Origin

From Middle English astronomie, from Old French astronomie, equivalent to astro- + -nomy. It displaced the native Old English word tungolcræft.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/astronomy (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).