EntranceTopics related to astronomy. Abstract: Astronomy
People have long tried to unravel the mystery of the surrounding world, to determine their place in the world order of the Universe, which ancient Greek philosophers called the Cosmos. So a person closely watched the sunrises and sunsets, the order of the changing phases of the Moon - after all, his life and work activity depended on this. Man was interested in the constant daily cycle of the stars, but he was frightened by unpredictable phenomena - eclipses of the Moon and Sun, the appearance of bright comets. People tried to understand the pattern of celestial phenomena and comprehend their place in this boundless world. Astronomy studies celestial objects, phenomena and processes occurring in the Universe.
Astronomy(Greek astron- star, luminary, nomos- law) is a fundamental science that studies the structure, movement, origin and development of celestial bodies, their systems and the entire Universe as a whole.
Astronomy as a science is an important type of human activity, providing a system of knowledge about the patterns in the development of nature. The purpose of astronomy is to study the origin, structure and evolution of the Universe.
Important tasks of astronomy are the explanation and prediction of astronomical phenomena, such as solar and lunar eclipses, the appearance of periodic comets, the passage of asteroids, large meteoroids or comet nuclei near the Earth. Astronomy deals with the study of physical processes occurring in the interior of planets, on the surface and in their atmospheres in order to better understand the structure and evolution of our planet. Eight major planets (among them Earth), dwarf planets, their moons, asteroids, meteoroids, comets, interplanetary dust and field forms of matter, together with the Sun, make up the gravitationally bound Solar System. The study of the movement of celestial bodies makes it possible to clarify the question of the stability of the solar system, the likelihood of a collision of the Earth with asteroids and comet nuclei. The discovery of new objects in the solar system and the study of their movement continues to be relevant. It is important to know the processes occurring on the Sun and predict their further development, since the existence of all life on Earth depends on this. Studying the evolution of other stars and comparing them with the Sun helps to understand the stages of development of our star.
The study of our stellar Galaxy and other galaxies makes it possible to determine its type, evolution, the place occupied in it by the Solar System, the likelihood of other stars passing close to the Sun or passing through interstellar clouds of gas and dust.
So, astronomy studies the structure and evolution of the Universe. The term “Universe” refers to the largest possible region of space, which includes all celestial bodies and their systems available for study.
More than once, raising our eyes to the night sky, we wondered - what is in this endless space?
The universe is fraught with many secrets and mysteries, but there is a science called astronomy, which has been studying space for many years and trying to explain its origin. What kind of science is this? What do astronomers do and what exactly do they study?
What does the word "astronomy" mean?
The term “astronomy” appeared in Ancient Greece in the 3rd–2nd centuries BC, when such scientists as Pythagoras and Hipparchus shone in the scientific community. The concept is a combination of two ancient Greek words - ἀστήρ (star) and νόμος (law), that is, astronomy is the law of the stars.
This term should not be confused with another concept - astrology, which studies the effects of celestial bodies on the Earth and humans.
What is astronomy?
Astronomy is the science of the Universe that determines the location, structure and formation of celestial bodies. In modern times, it includes several sections:
— astrometry, which studies the location and movement of space objects;
- celestial mechanics - determining the mass and shape of stars, studying the laws of their movement under the influence of gravitational forces; 
— theoretical astronomy, within which scientists develop analytical and computer models of celestial bodies and phenomena;
- astrophysics - the study of the chemical and physical properties of space objects.
Separate branches of science are aimed at studying the patterns of the spatial arrangement of stars and planets and considering the evolution of celestial bodies.
In the 20th century, a new section appeared in astronomy called archaeoastronomy, aimed at studying astronomical history and elucidating knowledge of the stars in ancient times.
What does astronomy study?
The subjects of astronomy are the Universe as a whole and all the objects in it - stars, planets, asteroids, comets, galaxies, constellations. Astronomers study interplanetary and interstellar matter, time, black holes, nebulae, and celestial coordinate systems. 
In a word, under their close attention is everything related to space and its development, including astronomical instruments, symbols, etc.
When did astronomy appear?
Astronomy is one of the most ancient sciences on Earth. It is impossible to name the exact date of its appearance, but it is well known that people have been studying stars since at least the 6th–4th millennia BC.
Many astronomical tables left by the priests of Babylon, calendars of the Mayan tribes, Ancient Egypt and Ancient China have survived to this day. Ancient Greek scientists made a great contribution to the development of astronomy and the study of celestial bodies. Pythagoras was the first to suggest that our planet is spherical, and Aristarchus of Samos was the first to draw conclusions about its rotation around the Sun.
For a long time, astronomy was associated with astrology, but during the Renaissance it became a separate science. Thanks to the advent of telescopes, scientists were able to discover the Milky Way galaxy, and at the beginning of the 20th century they realized that the Universe consists of many galactic spaces.
The greatest achievement of modern times has been the emergence of the theory of the evolution of the Universe, according to which it expands over time.
What is amateur astronomy?
Amateur astronomy is a hobby in which people who are not associated with scientific and research centers observe space objects. It must be said that such entertainment makes a significant contribution to the overall development of astronomy. 
Amateurs have made many interesting and quite important discoveries. In particular, in 1877, Russian observer Evgraf Bykhanov was the first to express modern views on the formation of the Solar System, and in 2009, Australian Anthony Wesley discovered traces of the fall of a cosmic body (presumably a comet) on the planet Jupiter.
Lesson #1.
Topic: “What astronomy studies”
Lesson objectives:
Personal: discuss human needs for knowledge, as the most significant insatiable need, understanding the differences between mythological and scientific consciousness.
Metasubject: formulate the concept of “subject of astronomy”; prove the independence and significance of astronomy as a science.
Subject: explain the reasons for the emergence and development of astronomy, give examples confirming these reasons; illustrate with examples the practical orientation of astronomy; reproduce information on the history of the development of astronomy, its connection with other sciences.
Main material:
Astronomy as a science.
The history of the formation of astronomy in connection with practical needs.
Interrelation and mutual influence of astronomy and other sciences.
New material
What does astronomy study?
People have long tried to unravel the mystery of the world around them, to determine their place in the Universe, which ancient Greek philosophers called the Cosmos. So a person closely watched the rising and setting of the Sun, the order of the changing phases of the Moon - after all, his life and work activity depended on this. The man was interested in the daily cycle of the stars, but was frightened by unpredictable phenomena - the eclipse of the Moon and the Sun, the appearance of bright comets. People tried to understand the pattern of celestial phenomena and comprehend their place in the boundless world.
Astronomy (derived from the Greek wordsastron – star,nomos - law) -a science that studies the structure, movement, origin and development of celestial bodies, their systems and the entire Universe as a whole.
Astronomy as a science is an important type of human activity, providing a system of knowledge about the patterns in the development of nature.
Purpose of astronomy – study the origin, structure and evolution of the Universe.
Importanttasks of astronomy are:
Explaining and predicting astronomical phenomena (for example, solar and lunar eclipses, the appearance of periodic comets, the passage of asteroids, large meteoroids or comets near the Earth).
Study of physical processes occurring in the interior of planets, on the surface and in their atmospheres to better understand the structure and evolution of our planet.
Study of the movement of celestial bodies makes it possible to clarify the question of the stability of the solar system and the likelihood of a collision of the Earth with asteroids and comets.
Discovery of new objects of the Solar system and study of their movement .
Studying the processes occurring on the Sun and predicting their further development (since the existence of all life on Earth depends on it).
Studying the evolution of other stars and comparing them with the Sun (this helps to understand the stages of development of our star).
So, astronomy studies the structure and evolution of the Universe.
The Universe is the largest region of space, including all celestial bodies and their systems available for study.
The emergence of astronomy
Astronomy arose in ancient times. It is known that even primitive people observed the starry sky and then painted what they saw on the walls of caves. As human society developed with the advent of agriculture, the need arose to count time and create a calendar. The observed patterns in the movement of celestial bodies and changes in the appearance of the Moon allowed ancient man to find and determine units of time (day, month, year) and calculate the onset of certain seasons of the year in order to carry out sowing work and harvest on time.
Since ancient times, observing the starry sky has shaped man himself as a thinking being. So in Ancient Egypt, by the appearance of the star Sirius in the pre-dawn sky, priests predicted periods of spring floods of the Nile, which determined the timing of agricultural work. In Arabia, where due to the heat of the day many works were transferred to the night, observation of the phases of the Moon played a significant role. In countries where navigation was developed, especially before the invention of the compass, special attention was paid to methods of orientation by the stars.
In the earliest written documents (3rd – 2nd millennium BC) of the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Babylon, China, India and America, there are traces of astronomical activity. In various places on Earth, our ancestors left structures made of stone blocks and processed pillars, oriented in astronomically significant directions. These directions coincide, for example, with the points of sunrise on the days of the equinoxes and solstices. Similar stone solar-lunar markers were found in southern England (Stonehenge), in Russia in the southern Urals (Arkaim) and on the shore of Lake Yanovo near the city of Polotsk. The age of such ancient observatories is about 5–6 thousand years.
The meaning and connection of astronomy with other sciences
In the course of human observations of the surrounding world and the Universe, the acquisition and generalization of acquired knowledge, astronomy was more or less associated with various sciences, for example:
With mathematics (using approximate calculation techniques, replacing trigonometric functions of angles with the values of the angles themselves, expressed in radian measure);
With physics (movement in gravitational and magnetic fields, description of states of matter; radiation processes; induction currents in plasma forming space objects);
With chemistry (the discovery of new chemical elements in the atmosphere of stars, the development of spectral methods; the chemical properties of the gases that make up celestial bodies);
With biology (hypotheses of the origin of life, adaptability and evolution of living organisms; pollution of the surrounding cosmic space by matter and radiation);
With geography (the nature of clouds on Earth and other planets; tides in the ocean, atmosphere and solid crust of the Earth; evaporation of water from the surface of the oceans under the influence of solar radiation; uneven heating by the Sun of various parts of the earth's surface, creating the circulation of atmospheric flows);
With literature (ancient myths and legends as literary works, in which, for example, the patron muse of the science of astronomy, Urania, is glorified; science fiction literature).
Sections of astronomy
Such close interaction with the listed sciences allowed the rapid development of astronomy as a science. Today, astronomy includes a number of sections that are closely related to each other. They differ from each other in the subject of research, methods and means of cognition.
The correct, scientific idea of the Earth as a celestial body appeared in Ancient Greece. Alexandrian astronomer Eratosthenes in 240 BC very accurately determined the size of the globe from observations of the Sun. Developing trade and navigation required the development of orientation methods, determining the geographical position of the observer, and accurate measurements based on astronomical observations. I started solving these problemspractical astronomy .
Since ancient times, people believed that the Earth was a stationary object around which the Sun and planets revolved. The founder of such a world system isgeocentric system of the world - is Ptolemy. In 1530, Nicolaus Copernicus revolutionized the idea of the structure of the Universe. According to his theory, the Earth, like all planets, revolves around the Sun. The Copernican world system came to be calledheliocentric . Such a “device” of the solar system was not accepted by society for a long time. But the Italian astronomer, physicist, mechanic Galileo Galilei, using observations through a simple telescope, discovered changes in the phases of Venus, which indicates the rotation of the planet around the Sun. After lengthy calculations, Johannes Kepler was able to find the laws of planetary motion, which played a significant role in the development of ideas about the structure of the solar system. The branch of astronomy that studies the movement of celestial bodies is calledcelestial mechanics. Celestial mechanics made it possible to explain and pre-calculate with very high accuracy almost all movements observed both in the Solar System and in the Galaxy.
More and more advanced telescopes were used in astronomical observations, with the help of which new discoveries were made, not only related to the bodies of the solar system, but also to the world of distant stars. In 1655, Huygens examined the rings of Saturn and discovered its moon Titan. In 1761, Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov discovered the atmosphere of Venus and conducted a study of comets. Taking the Earth as a standard, scientists compared it with other planets and satellites. This is how it was borncomparative planetology.
Huge and ever-increasing opportunities for studying the physical nature and chemical composition of stars were provided by the discovery of spectral analysis, which inXIXcentury becomes the main method in studying the physical nature of celestial bodies. The branch of astronomy that studies physical phenomena and chemical processes occurring in celestial bodies, their systems and in outer space is calledastrophysics .
The further development of astronomy is associated with the improvement of observational techniques. Great progress has been made in the creation of new types of radiation detectors. Photomultiplier tubes, electron-optical converters, and methods of electronic photography and television have increased the accuracy and sensitivity of photometric observations and further expanded the spectral range of recorded radiation. The world of distant galaxies located at a distance of billions of light years has become accessible to observation. New areas of astronomy have emerged:stellar astronomy, cosmology and cosmogony.
The time of birth of stellar astronomy is considered to be 1837-1839, when the first results in determining distances to stars were obtained independently of each other in Russia, Germany and England.Stellar astronomy studies the patterns in the spatial distribution and movement of stars in our star system - the Galaxy, studies the properties and distribution of other star systems.
Cosmology - a branch of astronomy that studies the origin, structure and evolution of the Universe as a whole. The conclusions of cosmology are based on the laws of physics and data from observational astronomy, as well as on the entire system of knowledge of a certain era. This section of astronomy began to develop intensively in the first half of the twentieth century, after the development of the general theory of relativity by Albert Einstein.
Cosmogony – a branch of astronomy that studies the origin and development of celestial bodies and systems. Since all celestial bodies arise and develop, ideas about their evolution are closely related to ideas about the nature of these bodies in general. The study of stars and galaxies uses the results of observations of many similar objects that arise at different times and are at different stages of development. In modern cosmogony, the laws of physics and chemistry are widely used.
Structure and scale of the Universe
Watching the video “Planets”
The video is launched by clicking on the illustration
The meaning of astronomy
Astronomy and its methods are of great importance in the life of modern society. Issues related to measuring time and providing humanity with knowledge of exact time are now being resolved by special laboratories - time services, organized, as a rule, at astronomical institutions.
Astronomical orientation methods, along with others, are still widely used in navigation and aviation, and in recent years - in astronautics. The calculation and compilation of the calendar, which is widely used in the national economy, is also based on astronomical knowledge.
Drawing up geographical and topographic maps, calculating the onset of sea tides, determining the force of gravity at various points on the earth's surface in order to detect mineral deposits - all this is based on astronomical methods.
Consolidating new material
Answer the questions:
What does astronomy study?
What problems does astronomy solve?
How did the science of astronomy arise? Describe the main periods of its development.
What branches does astronomy consist of? Briefly describe each of them.
What is the significance of astronomy for the practical activities of mankind?
Homework
Project “Astronomy Development Tree”
Even as a child, being a curious child, I dreamed of becoming an astronaut. And naturally, as I grew up, my interest turned to the stars. Gradually reading books on astronomy and physics, I slowly studied the basics. At the same time as reading books, I mastered the map of the starry sky. Because I grew up in a village, so I had a fairly good view of the starry sky. Now in my free time I continue to read books, publications and try to follow modern scientific achievements in this field of knowledge. In the future I would like to purchase my own telescope.
Astronomy is the science of the movement, structure and development of celestial bodies and their systems, up to the Universe as a whole.
Man, at his core, has an extraordinary curiosity that leads him to study the world around him, so astronomy gradually arose in all corners of the world where people lived.
Astronomical activity can be traced in sources from at least the 6th-4th millennium BC. e., and the earliest mentions of the names of the luminaries are found in the “Pyramid Texts”, dating from the 25th-23rd centuries. BC e. - a religious monument. Certain features of megalithic structures and even rock paintings of primitive people are interpreted as astronomical. There are also many similar motifs in folklore.
Figure 1 – Heavenly disk from Nebra
So, one of the first “astronomers” can be called the Sumerians and Babylonians. The Babylonian priests left many astronomical tables. They also identified the main constellations and the zodiac, introduced the division of a full angle into 360 degrees, and developed trigonometry. In the 2nd millennium BC. e. The Sumerians developed a lunar calendar, improved in the 1st millennium BC. e. The year consisted of 12 synodic months - six of 29 days and six of 30 days, for a total of 354 days. Having processed their observation tables, the priests discovered many laws of the movement of the planets, the Moon and the Sun, and were able to predict eclipses. It was probably in Babylon that the seven-day week appeared (each day was dedicated to one of the 7 luminaries). But not only the Sumerians had their own calendar; Egypt created its own “sothic” calendar. The sothic year is the period between the two heliacal risings of Sirius, that is, it coincided with the sidereal year, and the civil year consisted of 12 months of 30 days plus five additional days, for a total of 365 days. A lunar calendar with a metonic cycle, consistent with the civil one, was also used in Egypt. Later, under the influence of Babylon, a seven-day week appeared. The day was divided into 24 hours, which at first were unequal (separately for light and dark times of the day), but at the end of the 4th century BC. e. have acquired a modern look. The Egyptians also divided the sky into constellations. Evidence of this can include references in texts, as well as drawings on the ceilings of temples and tombs.
Among the countries of East Asia, ancient astronomy received the greatest development in China. In China there were two positions of court astronomers. Around the 6th century BC. e. The Chinese specified the length of the solar year (365.25 days). Accordingly, the celestial circle was divided into 365.25 degrees or 28 constellations (according to the movement of the Moon). Observatories appeared in the 12th century BC. e. But much earlier, Chinese astronomers diligently recorded all unusual events in the sky. The first record of the appearance of a comet dates back to 631 BC. e., about a lunar eclipse - by 1137 BC. e., about the solar - by 1328 BC. e., the first meteor shower was described in 687 BC. e. Among other achievements of Chinese astronomy, it is worth noting the correct explanation of the causes of solar and lunar eclipses, the discovery of the uneven movement of the Moon, the measurement of the sidereal period, first for Jupiter, and from the 3rd century BC. e. - and for all other planets, both sidereal and synodic, with good accuracy. There were many calendars in China. By the 6th century BC. e. The Metonic cycle was discovered and the lunisolar calendar was established. The beginning of the year is the winter solstice, the beginning of the month is the new moon. The day was divided into 12 hours (the names of which were also used as the names of months) or into 100 parts.
Parallel to China, on the opposite side of the earth, the Mayan civilization is in a hurry to acquire astronomical knowledge, as evidenced by numerous archaeological excavations at the sites of the cities of this civilization. The ancient Mayan astronomers were able to predict eclipses, and very carefully observed various, most clearly visible astronomical objects, such as the Pleiades, Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter. The remains of cities and observatory temples look impressive. Unfortunately, only 4 manuscripts of different ages and texts on steles have survived. The Mayans determined with great accuracy the synodic periods of all 5 planets (Venus was especially revered), and came up with a very accurate calendar. The Mayan month contained 20 days, and the week - 13. Astronomy also developed in India, although it did not have much success there. Among the Incas, astronomy is directly related to cosmology and mythology, this is reflected in many legends. The Incas knew the difference between stars and planets. In Europe, the situation was worse, but the Druids of the Celtic tribes definitely had some kind of astronomical knowledge.
In the early stages of its development, astronomy was thoroughly mixed with astrology. The attitude of scientists towards astrology in the past has been controversial. Educated people in general have always been skeptical about natal astrology. But the belief in universal harmony and the search for connections in nature stimulated the development of science. Therefore, the natural interest of ancient thinkers was aroused by natural astrology, which established an empirical connection between celestial phenomena of a calendar nature and signs of weather, harvest, and the timing of household work. Astrology originates from Sumerian-Babylonian astral myths, in which celestial bodies (Sun, Moon, planets) and constellations were associated with gods and mythological characters; the influence of gods on earthly life within the framework of this mythology was transformed into the influence on the life of celestial bodies - symbols deities Babylonian astrology was borrowed by the Greeks and then, through contacts with the Hellenistic world, penetrated into India. The final identification of scientific astronomy occurred during the Renaissance and took a long time.
The formation of astronomy as a science should probably be attributed to the ancient Greeks, because they made a huge contribution to the development of science. The works of ancient Greek scientists contain the origins of many ideas that underlie the science of modern times. There is a relationship of direct continuity between modern and ancient Greek astronomy, while the science of other ancient civilizations influenced modern one only through the mediation of the Greeks.
In Ancient Greece, astronomy was already one of the most developed sciences. To explain the visible movements of the planets, Greek astronomers, the largest of them Hipparchus (2nd century BC), created the geometric theory of epicycles, which formed the basis of the geocentric system of the world of Ptolemy (2nd century AD). Although fundamentally incorrect, Ptolemy's system nevertheless made it possible to pre-calculate the approximate positions of the planets in the sky and therefore satisfied, to a certain extent, practical needs for several centuries.
The Ptolemaic system of the world completes the stage of development of ancient Greek astronomy. The development of feudalism and the spread of the Christian religion entailed a significant decline in the natural sciences, and the development of astronomy in Europe slowed down for many centuries. During the Dark Middle Ages, astronomers were concerned only with observing the apparent movements of the planets and reconciling these observations with the accepted geocentric system of Ptolemy.
During this period, astronomy received rational development only among the Arabs and the peoples of Central Asia and the Caucasus, in the works of outstanding astronomers of that time - Al-Battani (850-929), Biruni (973-1048), Ulugbek (1394-1449) .) etc. During the period of the emergence and formation of capitalism in Europe, which replaced feudal society, the further development of astronomy began. It developed especially quickly during the era of great geographical discoveries (XV-XVI centuries). The emerging new bourgeois class was interested in exploiting new lands and equipped numerous expeditions to discover them. But long journeys across the ocean required more accurate and simpler methods of orientation and time calculation than those that the Ptolemaic system could provide. The development of trade and navigation urgently required the improvement of astronomical knowledge and, in particular, the theory of planetary motion. The development of productive forces and the requirements of practice, on the one hand, and the accumulated observational material, on the other, prepared the ground for a revolution in astronomy, which was carried out by the great Polish scientist Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543), who developed his heliocentric system of the world, published in the year his death.
The teachings of Copernicus were the beginning of a new stage in the development of astronomy. Kepler in 1609-1618. the laws of planetary motion were discovered, and in 1687 Newton published the law of universal gravitation.
New astronomy gained the opportunity to study not only the visible, but also the actual movements of celestial bodies. Her numerous and brilliant successes in this area were crowned in the middle of the 19th century. the discovery of the planet Neptune, and in our time - the calculation of the orbits of artificial celestial bodies.
Astronomy and its methods are of great importance in the life of modern society. Issues related to measuring time and providing humanity with knowledge of exact time are now being resolved by special laboratories - time services, organized, as a rule, at astronomical institutions.
Astronomical orientation methods, along with others, are still widely used in navigation and aviation, and in recent years - in astronautics. The calculation and compilation of the calendar, which is widely used in the national economy, is also based on astronomical knowledge.
Figure 2 – Gnomon - the oldest goniometer tool
Drawing up geographical and topographic maps, pre-calculating the onset of sea tides, determining the force of gravity at various points on the earth's surface in order to detect mineral deposits - all this is based on astronomical methods.
Studies of processes occurring on various celestial bodies allow astronomers to study matter in states that have not yet been achieved in earthly laboratory conditions. Therefore, astronomy, and in particular astrophysics, which is closely related to physics, chemistry, and mathematics, contributes to the development of the latter, and they, as we know, are the basis of all modern technology. Suffice it to say that the question of the role of intra-atomic energy was first raised by astrophysicists, and the greatest achievement of modern technology - the creation of artificial celestial bodies (satellites, space stations and ships) would generally be unthinkable without astronomical knowledge.
Astronomy is of exceptionally great importance in the fight against idealism, religion, mysticism and clericalism. Its role in the formation of a correct dialectical-materialistic worldview is enormous, for it is it that determines the position of the Earth, and with it man, in the world around us, in the Universe. Observations of celestial phenomena themselves do not give us grounds to directly discover their true causes. In the absence of scientific knowledge, this leads to their incorrect explanation, to superstition, mysticism, and to the deification of the phenomena themselves and individual celestial bodies. For example, in ancient times the Sun, Moon and planets were considered deities and were worshiped. The basis of all religions and the entire worldview was the idea of the central position of the Earth and its immobility. Many people’s superstitions were associated (and even now not everyone has freed themselves from them) with solar and lunar eclipses, with the appearance of comets, with the appearance of meteors and fireballs, the fall of meteorites, etc. So, for example, comets were considered the harbingers of various disasters befalling humanity on Earth (fires, disease epidemics, wars), meteors were mistaken for the souls of dead people flying into the sky, etc.
Astronomy, by studying celestial phenomena, exploring the nature, structure and development of celestial bodies, proves the materiality of the Universe, its natural, regular development in time and space without the intervention of any supernatural forces.
The history of astronomy shows that it has been and remains the arena of a fierce struggle between materialistic and idealistic worldviews. Currently, many simple questions and phenomena no longer determine or cause a struggle between these two basic worldviews. Now the struggle between materialistic and idealistic philosophies is taking place in the area of more complex issues, more complex problems. It concerns the basic views on the structure of matter and the Universe, on the emergence, development and further fate of both individual parts and the entire Universe as a whole.
The twentieth century for astronomy means more than just another hundred years. It was in the 20th century that they learned the physical nature of stars and unraveled the mystery of their birth, studied the world of galaxies and almost completely restored the history of the Universe, visited neighboring planets and discovered other planetary systems.
Having been able at the beginning of the century to measure distances only to the nearest stars, at the end of the century astronomers “reached” almost to the boundaries of the Universe. But until now, measuring distances remains a sore problem in astronomy. It is not enough to “reach out”; it is necessary to accurately determine the distance to the most distant objects; only in this way will we know their true characteristics, physical nature and history.
Advances in astronomy in the 20th century. were closely connected with the revolution in physics. Astronomical data was used to create and test the theory of relativity and the quantum theory of the atom. On the other hand, progress in physics has enriched astronomy with new methods and possibilities.
It is no secret that the rapid growth in the number of scientists in the 20th century. was caused by the needs of technology, mainly military. But astronomy is not as necessary for the development of technology as physics, chemistry, and geology. Therefore, even now, at the end of the 20th century, there are not so many professional astronomers in the world - only about 10 thousand. Not bound by conditions of secrecy, astronomers at the beginning of the century, in 1909, united into the International Astronomical Union (MAC), which coordinates the joint study of a common starry sky for all. Collaboration between astronomers from different countries has especially intensified in the last decade thanks to computer networks.
Figure 3 – Radio telescopes
Now in the 21st century, astronomy faces many tasks, including such complex ones as studying the most general properties of the Universe; this requires the creation of a more general physical theory capable of describing the state of matter and physical processes. To solve this problem, observational data are required in regions of the Universe located at distances of several billion light years. Modern technical capabilities do not allow detailed study of these areas. However, this problem is now the most pressing and is being successfully solved by astronomers in a number of countries.
But it is quite possible that these problems will not be the main focus of the new generation of astronomers. Nowadays, the first timid steps are taken by neutrino and gravitational wave astronomy. Probably, in a couple of decades, they will be the ones who will reveal to us a new face of the Universe.
One feature of astronomy remains unchanged, despite its rapid development. The subject of her interest is the starry sky, accessible for admiring and studying from any place on Earth. The sky is the same for everyone, and everyone can study it if they wish. Even now, amateur astronomers make significant contributions to some areas of observational astronomy. And this brings not only benefits to science, but also enormous, incomparable joy for themselves.
Modern technologies make it possible to simulate space objects and provide data to the average user. There are not many such programs yet, but their number is growing and they are constantly being improved. Here are some programs that will be interesting and useful even to people far from astronomy:
- The RedShift computer planetarium, a product of Maris Technologies Ltd., is widely known in the world. This is the best-selling program in its class, it has already earned more than 20 prestigious international awards. The first version appeared back in 1993. It immediately met with an enthusiastic reception from Western users and gained a leading position in the market for full-featured computer planetariums. In fact, RedShift has transformed the global market for software for astronomy enthusiasts. With the power of modern computers, dull columns of numbers are transformed into virtual reality, which contains a high-precision model of the solar system, millions of deep space objects, and an abundance of reference material.
- Google Earth is a Google project in which satellite photographs of the entire earth's surface were posted on the Internet. Photos of some regions have unprecedented high resolution. Unlike other similar services that display satellite images in a regular browser (for example, Google Maps), this service uses a special client program downloaded to the user's computer Google Earth.
- Google Maps is a set of applications built on the free mapping service and technology provided by Google. The service is a map and satellite images of the whole world (as well as the Moon and Mars).
- Celestia is a free 3D astronomy program. The program, based on the HIPPARCOS Catalog, allows the user to view objects ranging in size from artificial satellites to full galaxies in three dimensions using OpenGL technology. Unlike most other virtual planetariums, the user can freely travel around the Universe. Add-ons to the program allow you to add both real-life objects and objects from fictional universes created by their fans.
- KStars is a virtual planetarium included in the KDE Education Project package of educational programs. KStars shows the night sky from anywhere on the planet. You can observe the starry sky not only in real time, but also what it was or will be by indicating the desired date and time. The program displays 130,000 stars, 8 planets of the solar system, the Sun, the Moon, thousands of asteroids and comets.
- Stellarium is a free virtual planetarium. With Stellarium it is possible to see what can be seen with a medium and even large telescope. The program also provides observations of solar eclipses and the movements of comets.
- "History of Astronomy". Electronic resource.
Access mode: http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/History of astronomy - "Ancient Astronomy and Modern Astronomy". Electronic resource.
Access mode: http://www.prosvetlenie.org/mystic/7/10.html - "The practical and ideological significance of astronomy." Electronic resource.
Access mode: http://space.rin.ru/articles/html/389.html - “The beginnings of astronomy. Gnomon is an astronomical instrument." Electronic resource. Access mode: http://www.astrogalaxy.ru/489.html
- "Astronomy of the XXI century - Astronomy in the XX century." Electronic resource.
Access mode: http://astroweb.ru/hist_/stat23.htm - "Astronomy" Electronic resource.
Access mode: http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomy - “Astronomy of the XXI century - Results of the XX and tasks of the XXI century.” Electronic resource.
Access mode: http://astroweb.ru/hist_/stat29.htm - "RedShift Computer Planetarium". Electronic resource.
Access mode: http://www.bellabs.ru/RS/index.html - Google Earth. Electronic resource.
Access mode: http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Planet_Earth - Google Maps. Electronic resource.
Access mode: http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Maps - "Celestia" Electronic resource.
Access mode: http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celestia - KStars. Electronic resource.
Access mode: http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/KStars - "Stellarium" Electronic resource.
Access mode: http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellarium