Portal:Astronomy/Intro

Astronomy is the scientific study of matter in outer space with the goal of determining or measuring factors such as distances, positions, dimensions, distribution, magnitudes, motion, composition, physical condition, energy, evolution, and the causes of their various phenomena. At present astronomy while making some important discoveries is still in its infancy in terms of gaining depth of understanding and some would argue has many errant notions.

Important branches in this discipline include astrophysics and cosmology. Astrophysics is a branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of stellar phenomena. Cosmology is the study of the origin, current state, and future of the cosmos. Astrophysical measurements and analysis are used to understand the cosmological history, structure, and constituent dynamics of our universe.