Expert: Philip Stahl - 10/17/2004

Question
Question #1 How did astronomy become a science?

Question #2 How new tools affected the phase of change?


Answer
Hello.

Astronomy became a science from the time that careful measurements were made and consistently recorded. For example, observations of the planets' changing positions, and the recording of these.

Thus, the recording of planetary positions, changes by the ancient Sumerians/Babylonians probably represent the onset of astronomy as a science - and this was thousands of years ago.

The modern era probably began with the planetary observations and recordings of Tycho Brahe, ca. 15th century.

A variety of "new tools" have entered at different times - probably the most significant of which was the optical telescope.

Others include: invention of the spectroscope to determine the chemical composition of various sources from their light; radio telescope to detect radio waves from radio sources; x-ray, infrared and ultraviolet detectors mounted on satellites to pick up these radiations, and finally - the Hubble telescope orbiting above the Earth's atmosphere to make available images in a variety of wavelengths - but without atmospheric distortion.

In each case of the instruments noted above, the effect of the change was to: a) provide new details of the objects seen, which had never been revealed before, thus adding to our wealth of knowledge; and b) open up a new arena of analysis and investigation which had not existed before.

Thus, the specialized area of spectroscopy deals entirely with the complex analysis of spectral lines from astronomical sources - and this requires knowledge of quantum and atomic physics as well.

Thus, radio astronomy deals entirely with the radio profiles of radio sources, and the information exposed by these through diferent levels of analsysis.