Astronomy Knowledge

Astronomy knowledge is what people know about the stars, the moon, and other celestial objects and phenomena. This includes not only the positions, dimensions and motions of such objects but also their composition, energy, history and evolution.

Humans have been fascinated by the stars since before recorded history. In fact, many of the earliest human cultures developed their own systems for ordering and understanding the night sky. These early civilizations’ astronomical systems eventually influenced Greek astronomy, and later the astronomy of societies in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

The science of astronomy has been defined in various ways throughout its long history, but most definitions include the study of the origin and the chemical and physical nature of heavenly bodies. Astronomy has been divided into two broad areas: observational and theoretical. Theoretical astronomy is concerned with the use of data collected by telescopes and cameras to develop theories about how the cosmos works. Observational astronomy, on the other hand, involves the use of data collected by telescopes and instruments to observe and collect information about the objects in the night sky. This data is used by mathematical astronomers (who use numbers, calculations, computers and statistics to explain what others have observed) and by optical astronomers who study the light and colors of the objects in the night sky through their telescopes and cameras. Optical astronomy is divided into ultraviolet, infrared, and radio astronomy (which studies wavelengths other than visible light).

With the advent of spectroscopy, a discipline that analyzed an object’s ability to split light into different frequencies according to its chemical composition, a whole new realm of astronomical knowledge opened up in the second half of the 19th century. Spectroscopy allowed scientists to learn what celestial objects were made of, first for nearby ones like the sun and moon and then for faraway ones such as other stars and galaxies.

Astronomical knowledge is constantly expanding and changing with the development of ever more sophisticated telescopes and instruments and discoveries about the universe’s past and present. Today astronomy includes the study of the formation, evolution, and radiation of stars; the study of planets and their satellites; the study of comets, meteoroids, asteroids, and black holes; and the search for other intelligent life in the universe.

In addition to expanding in scope, astronomical knowledge is also transforming in terms of pedagogy and the way that we teach astronomy. Astronomy teachers are often encouraged to view the learning of astronomical phenomena through disciplinary lenses and, as such, may neglect the potential of students’ cultural capital when teaching about these concepts.

However, a pedagogical framework that recognizes the importance of a cultural lens in astronomy education can help to scaffold student learning and improve equity, diversity and inclusion in astronomy classes. The authors of this article propose such a framework, which they call the AstroCulture Framework for Astronomy (AstroCulturePF) and which has been illustrated in Figure 10. Astronomy has deep, historical and transdisciplinary roots, and is innately connected to culture. It is vital that astronomy educators understand and use this rich diversity of untapped cultural affordances to engage all students in the epistemic practices of their discipline.