Technically speaking, astronomy is the science of measuring the positions and characteristics of heavenly bodies, and astrophysics is the application of physics to understand astronomy. However, nowadays, the two terms are more or less interchangeable since all astronomers generally use physics to understand their findings. (My husband tells people I'm an astrophysicist because sometimes when he says I'm an astronomer they think I do astrology.)

Astrology is a pseudo-science which claims that the positions of the heavenly bodies have an effect on the lives of human beings and events on Earth. Astrology has many of the trappings of real science, like math and complicated diagrams and a specialized vocabulary, but astrologers do not follow the scientific method. Real scientists make careful measurements in well-controlled studies. Astrologers don't do experiments to prove their theories.

Astronomy is the science of the universe. Astrology tries to link the position of the planets with human character and destiny. Astrology is rubbish, and no sensible person would believe in it.

You can read this screen because your eyes detect light. Light consists of electromagnetic waves. The different colors of light are electromagnetic waves of different lengths. Visible light, however, covers only a small part of the range of wavelengths in which electromagnetic waves can be produced. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of much greater wavelength than those of light.

The World Wide Web is a gold mine of information on astronomy and space science. This includes everything from on-line astronomy courses to archives of thousands of astronomical images. An excellent starting point is the AstroWeb site.

Solar astronomers can easily justify their object of study, since the Sun sustains all life on earth. In addition, certain behaviors of the Sun have a dramatic effect on our daily lives. The 11 year cycle of solar activity includes huge solar flares and large numbers of sunspots at its peak. This results in charged particles bombarding the earth and interfering with telecommunications, power grids, and even the yield of semiconductor chip production.

Simplificating, radio astronomical research concentrates on the evolution of the Universe by focussing on magnetic fields. In contrast, the optical astronomy observes the thermal processes of the Universe. So, we can "see" with our radio telescopes physical phenomena within the stars and the galaxies, that remain invisible in other wavelengths.

You can use virtually any binocular to enjoy the night sky, but some binoculars are better than others. Generally, a dedicated astronomy binocular has a magnification of at least 7x to 8x, and an aperture of at least 40mm. Amateur astronomer's passion for binocular astronomy has led to the development of large aperture binoculars that can rival the light gathering power of small telescopes.

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated by Associated Universities, Inc., a nonprofit research organization. The NRAO provides state-of-the-art radio telescope facilities for use by the scientific community. We conceive, design, build, operate and maintain radio telescopes used by scientists from around the world.

There are about 100 U.S. colleges and universities that offer a Ph.D. in astronomy and many more that offer other degrees. The American Astronomical Society (AAS) has a career brochure with advice on selecting an appropriate college. (See question #14 in this FAQ for ordering information.) When selecting a college, consider your preference for a small school or a large university and visit the campus before making a final decision.

No, many astronomers majored in physics in college. Physics can give you a more enriched education in the physical sciences. Students with a strong core of physics classes in addition to some astronomy research experience are most attractive to astronomy graduate school admissions committees. Depending on the program, this can be obtained with a degree in either physics or astronomy. A Bachelor of Science (B.S.

Yes! Examples include jobs in computing and image processing, as a science librarian, science educator, planetarium or science museum director, instrument designer or builder, and observing technician. At NOAO, only about 1 in 6 staff members is an astronomer, meaning for every astronomer, there are 5 technical support positions on the payroll such as telescope operator, observing assistant, optical engineer, design drafting technician, and more.

A10: We do get a lot of e-mail and can't promise to respond due to time constraints. On the other hand, there are specific web sites that are devoted to providing answers to astronomy questions. At least one of these keeps an impressive archive of answers to many astronomy questions: Ask the Astronomer with even more questions and answers at Ask the Space Scientist. You can also try Goddard Space Flight Center's excellent Ask A High Energy Astronomer service.

In my opinion, it doesn't matter where you get your undergraduate degree, as long as you do research as an undergraduate. When you're shopping for colleges, I suggest that you look for one that offers an astronomy major (not just a minor) and ask about undergraduate opportunities for research. Some people say that Caltech or MIT are the only places to go, but they're just snobs. : ) You can save a lot of money at a state school.

From an early age I was interested in astronomical things but my scientific interest in the physics of the Universe started in graduate school along with studying high energy physics.

For the beginning amateur astronomer, binoculars are one of the best and easiest ways to learn your way around the night sky. The wonders of the universe are captured through stereo, or two-eyed vision in a way that cannot be reproduced with the single eyepiece of most telescopes. Also, binoculars have a much wider field of view than telescopes, allowing you to see a much large part of the sky at a time.