Astronomy
Astronomy (from Greek: ἀστρονομία) is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It applies mathematics, physics, and chemistry in an effort to explain the origin of those objects and phenomena and their evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, galaxies, and comets; the phenomena also includes supernova explosions, gamma ray bursts, quasars blazars, pulsars, and cosmic microwave background radiation. More generally, all phenomena that originate outside Earth's atmosphere are within the purview of astronomy. A related but distinct subject is physical cosmology, which is the study of the Universe as a whole.
Astronomy is one of the oldest of the natural sciences. The early civilizations in recorded history, such as the Babylonians, Greeks, Indians, Egyptians, Nubians, Iranians, Chinese, Maya, and many ancient indigenous peoples of the Americas, performed methodical observations of the night sky. Historically, astronomy has included disciplines as diverse as astrometry, celestial navigation, observational astronomy, and the making of calendars, but professional astronomy is now often considered to be synonymous with astrophysics.
Professional astronomy is split into observational and theoretical branches. Observational astronomy is focused on acquiring data from observations of astronomical objects, which is then analyzed using basic principles of physics. Theoretical astronomy is oriented toward the development of computer or analytical models to describe astronomical objects and phenomena. The two fields complement each other, with theoretical astronomy seeking to explain observational results and observations being used to confirm theoretical results.
Astronomy is one of the few sciences in which amateurs still play an active role, especially in the discovery and observation of transient events. Amateur astronomers have made and contributed to many important astronomical discoveries, such as finding new comets.
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Matching Astronomy Colleges
The Pennsylvania State University
Four or more years; Public; $25,084 average out-state tuition; $15,400 average in-state tuition |
University of Colorado Boulder
Four or more years; Public; $36,554 average out-state tuition; $10,806 average in-state tuition |
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Four or more years; Public; $38,757 average out-state tuition; $10,927 average in-state tuition |
University of Maryland-College Park
Four or more years; Public; $36,683 average out-state tuition; $9,000 average in-state tuition |
The University of Texas at Austin
Four or more years; Public; $40,996 average out-state tuition; $11,752 average in-state tuition |
Ohio State University-Main Campus
Four or more years; Public; $34,101 average out-state tuition; $11,018 average in-state tuition |
University of Florida
Four or more years; Public; $25,694 average out-state tuition; $4,477 average in-state tuition |
Scholarships for Astronomy Majors
Edith Nourse Rogers STEM ScholarshipU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs |
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award Up to $30,000 |
deadline Varies |
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Lumpkins Family Merit Scholarship in the College of ScienceUniversity of Notre Dame |
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award $25,000 |
deadline January 01, 2025 |
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Big Bang Theory Graduate Fellowship-PAIDUniversity of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) |
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award $20,000 |
deadline May 01, 2024 |
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Astronaut Scholarship in Science and TechnologyAstronaut Scholarship Foundation |
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award Up to $15,000 |
deadline Varies |
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SEI Native American Education ScholarshipSolar Energy International (SEI) |
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award $10,000 |
deadline Varies |
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SEI Energy Women in Solar ScholarshipSolar Energy International (SEI) |
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award $10,000 |
deadline Varies |
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NSF S-STEM ScholarshipUniversity of Massachusetts at Dartmouth |
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award Up to $10,000 |
deadline Varies |
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EAGLES Scholarship - PSUPortland State University |
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award $10,000 |
deadline Varies |
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Johnson & Johnson Access-Ability Lime ScholarshipLime Connect, Inc. |
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award $10,000 |
deadline April 07, 2024 |
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Richard and Muriel Saunders Family ScholarshipColorado Mesa University |
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award $10,000 |
deadline August 01, 2024 |
Astronomy Related Majors
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
- Astrophysics
- Physical Sciences
- Forensic Chemistry
- Meteorology
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology
- Planetary Astronomy and Science
- Organic Chemistry
- Paleontology
- Theoretical and Mathematical Physics
- Oceanography, Chemical and Physical
- Environmental Chemistry
- Nuclear Physics
- Chemical Physics
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Hydrology and Water Resources Science
- Geophysics and Seismology
- Analytical Chemistry