Outline of astronomy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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). Astronomy also intersects with biology, as astrobiology, studying potential life throughout the universe.

Astronomy can be described as all 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 it
  • 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
• A hobby or part-time pursuit for the satisfaction of personal curiosity or appreciation of beauty, the latter especially including astrophotography.

• Astrobiology – studies the advent and evolution of biological systems in the universe.
• 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] [2]} 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:
  • Compact objects – this subdiscipline studies very dense matter in white dwarfs and neutron stars and their effects on environments including accretion.
  • Physical cosmology – origin and evolution of the universe as a whole. The study of cosmology is theoretical astrophysics at its largest scale.
  • Quantum cosmology - the study of cosmology through the use of quantum field theory to explain phenomena general relativity cannot due to limitations in its framework.
  • Computational astrophysics – The study of astrophysics using computational methods and tools to develop computational models.
  • 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.
  • Solar physics – Sun and its interaction with the remainder of the Solar System and interstellar space.
• Planetary Science – study of planets, moons, and planetary systems.
  • Atmospheric science – study of atmospheres and weather.
  • Exoplanetology – various planets outside of the Solar System
  • 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
  • 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 bodies, including asteroids, comets, Kuiper belt objects, and dust.
• Astronomy divided by general technique used for astronomical research:
  • 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.
  • Observational astronomy – practice of observing celestial objects by using telescopes and other astronomical apparatus. It is concerned with recording data. The subdisciplines of observational astronomy are generally made by the specifications of the detectors, specifically the ranges of wavelengths observed:
    • Radio astronomy – Above 300 μm
    • 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
    • Dust astronomy – Cosmic dust
    • Gravitational wave astronomy – Gravitons
  • Photometry – study of how bright celestial objects are when passed through different filters
  • Spectroscopy – study of the spectra of astronomical objects
• Other disciplines that may be considered part of astronomy:
  • Archaeoastronomy
  • Astrochemistry

Astronomical object

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

• The Sun
• Mercury
• Venus
• The Moon
• Earth
• Mars
• Phobos and Deimos
• Ceres
• The main asteroid belt
• 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
• Pluto
• Moons of Pluto
• Haumea
• Moons of Haumea
• Makemake
• S/2015 (136472) 1
• The Kuiper Belt
• Eris
• Dysnomia
• The Scattered Disc
• The Hills Cloud
• The Oort Cloud

• Solar System
• Geology of solar terrestrial planets
• List of Solar System objects
  • List of Solar System objects by size
• Galilean satellites
• Halley's comet

• Exoplanet (also known as extrasolar planets) – planet outside the Solar System. A total of 4,341 such planets have been identified as of 28 Jan 2021.
  • Super-Earth – exoplanet with a mass higher than Earth's, but substantially below those of the Solar System's ice giants.
  • Mini-Neptune – also known as a gas dwarf or transitional planet. A planet up to 10 Earth masses, but less massive than Uranus and Neptune.
  • Super-Jupiter – an exoplanet more massive than Jupiter.
  • Sub-Earth – an exoplanet "substantially less massive" than Earth and Venus.
  • Circumbinary planet – an exoplanet that orbits two stars.
  • Hot Jupiter – an exoplanet whose characteristics are similar to Jupiter, but that have high surface temperatures because they orbit very close to their parent stars, whereas Jupiter orbits its parent star (the Sun) at 5.2 AU (×ばつ106 km), causing low surface temperatures.
  • Hot Neptune – an exoplanet in an orbit close to its star (normally less than one astronomical unit away), with a mass similar to that of Uranus or Neptune.
  • Pulsar planet – a planet that orbits a pulsar or a rapidly rotating neutron star.
  • Rogue planet (also known as an interstellar planet) – a planetary-mass object that orbits the galaxy directly.

• Fixed stars

• Constellation
• Constellation family

• Galaxy
• Andromeda Galaxy
• Magellanic Clouds
• Quasar

See: Outline of space exploration

Space agencies

• Algeria  Algerian Space Agency
• Egypt  National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences
• Egypt Remote Sensing Center
• Morocco  Royal Centre for Remote Sensing
• Tunisia  National Remote Sensing Center

• Nigeria  National Space Research and Development Agency
• South Africa  South African National Space Agency

• Mexico  Agencia Espacial Mexicana
• Canada  Canadian Space Agency
• United States  NASA
• United States  United States Department of Defense
  • National Reconnaissance Office
  • United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command
  • United States Space Command
  • United States Space Force

• Venezuela  Agencia Bolivariana para Actividades Espaciales
• Brazil  Brazilian Space Agency
• Brazil  Brazilian General Command for Aerospace Technology
• Colombia  Colombian Space Commission
• Argentina  Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales
• Peru  Comisión Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Aeroespacial
• Brazil  Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica
• Venezuela  Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas
• Brazil  National Institute for Space Research

• China  China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology
• China Academy of Space Technology
• China Chang Feng
• China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
• Commission for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense)
• China National Space Administration
• Japan  Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
• National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan
• National Space Development Agency of Japan)
• National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
• Institute for Unmanned Space Experiment Free Flyer
• Mongolia  National Remote Sensing Center
• North Korea  Korean Committee of Space Technology
• South Korea  Korea Aerospace Research Institute
• Taiwan  National Space Organization

• Indonesia  National Institute of Aeronautics and Space
• Malaysia  Malaysian Space Agency
• Philippines  Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
• Thailand  Thai Ministry of Science and Technology's Space Agency
• Vietnam  Space Technology Institute
• Vietnam Space Commission

• Bangladesh  Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization
• India  Department of Space
  • Antrix Corporation
  • Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology
  • Indian Space Research Organisation
  • National Atmospheric Research Laboratory
  • New Space India Limited
  • North-Eastern Space Applications Centre
  • Physical Research Laboratory
  • Semi-Conductor Laboratory
• Pakistan  Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission

• Azerbaijan  Azerbaijan National Aerospace Agency ¹
• Iran  Iran Aviation Industries Organization
• Iranian Space Agency
• Israel  Israel Space Agency
• National Committee for Space Research
• Turkey  TÜBİTAK UZAY

• Kazakhstan  KazCosmos
• Kazakh Space Research Institute ¹
• Turkmenistan  Turkmenistan National Space Agency ¹
• Uzbekistan  UzbekCosmos ¹

• Austria  Austrian Space Agency
• Belarus  Belarus Space Agency ¹
• Belgium  Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy
• Bulgaria  Bulgarian Space Agency
• Czech Republic  Czech Space Office
• Denmark  Danish National Space Center
• esa European Cooperation for Space Standardization
• European Space Agency
• European Union  EUMETSAT
• European Union Satellite Centre
• France  CNES
• Germany  German Aerospace Center
• Greece  Institute for Space Applications and Remote Sensing
• Hungary  Hungarian Space Office
• Republic of Ireland  Space Ireland
• Italy  Italian Space Agency
• Lithuania  Space Science and Technology Institute ¹
• Luxembourg  Luxinnovation
• Netherlands  Netherlands Institute for Space Research
• Norway  Norwegian Space Centre
• Poland  Space Research Centre
• Portugal  Portuguese Space Company
• Romania  Romanian Space Agency
• Russia  Russian Federal Space Agency ¹
• Russian Space Research Institute ¹
• Russian Space Forces
• Soviet Union  Soviet space program
• Spain  Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial
• Sweden  Swedish National Space Board
• Switzerland  Swiss Space Office
• United Kingdom  UK Space Agency
• Ukraine  State Space Agency of Ukraine ¹

• Australia  Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

• Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization
• Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems
•  Committee on Space Research
• International Academy of Astronautics
• International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
• Intercosmos
• Intersputnik
• Arab League  Pan-Arab Space Agency
• United Nations  United Nations
  • United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
  • United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

¹ Preceded by the Soviet space program

• 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

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