Astronomy basically deals with the study of all the aspects of the universe. It involves the study of planets, stars, satellites and other heavenly bodies and galaxies. The different disciplines of science that contribute to astronomy are mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and geology. Among the various disciplines, the field of physics forms the single major contributor to astronomy. Since the field of astronomy is very vast, it is separated into different branches for the convenience of studying.

Evolving field

The specialized field of astronomy is evolving day by day and is constantly improving as it evolves. During the ancient period, man used to observe the sky to determine the suitable time to plant crops, understand the weather conditions, to determine the time to celebrate various festivals and so on. Today we follow a calendar system which is based on the astronomical observations and information. It is understood that different happenings in the earth is influenced by various activities that occur across the universe. So an in depth understanding of the astronomy will help us in determining and understanding various occurrences in the world.

The course in Astronomy is designed to create an understanding of various levels of science as a process, which includes its application on a day to day basis and how to utilize it to learn about the universe. The course will help to understand and put to use the basics of physics in the field of astronomy.

The objective of the field

The objectives of the astronomy course are:

• To put to practice scientific methods in the area of astronomy to obtain solutions to problems
• To gather and analyze data to bring out meaningful interpretations
• To comprehend the behavior and nature of light
• To comprehend the nature of gravity
• To comprehend the basics of astronomy and great astronomical discoveries.

The impact of the field

The field of astronomy has influenced the human life in a big way. The major developments in the field of communication which includes the most modern communication devices that is use to transmit and receive data from satellites and space ships has helped us to utilize the same technology to communicate with each other, the location not being a barrier anymore. Communication is as a result of the discovery of a layer of atmosphere named ionosphere which is a contribution of astronomy and other related fields. The developments in the field of communication have transformed the world into a global village.

The importance of atmosphere and ozone is realized as a result of various studies conducted by scientists. The field of astronomy has helped us in understanding the various phenomena such as greenhouse effect and the ozone layer depletion which results in global warming.