The Foundations of Astronomy

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Astronomy means the observation of the universe rather than an experimental science. Astronomers can simply observe phenomena in space; they cannot perform experiments or perform tests, as physicists and chemists can do. However, today’s astronomers do not feel restricted because they are looking directly into the utmost laboratory of all: the universe.

Using today observational techniques and advance technology, astronomers are witnessing the processes that cannot possibly be created in any laboratory on Earth. For instance, the observation of black holes and neutron stars are something no one can recreate or experiment. For that reason, the exchange of information between physics and astrophysics has increased in the past years. In actuality, many physicists switched to become astrophysicists during their careers.

The invention of the telescope has been the single most significant tool for helping us understand space and the universe.