We live on the planet which is just a tiny speck in what we call Universe, or Space. Few celestial bodies, such as the Sun, the Moon, 5 more planets and the brightest stars can be observed with unaided eye.
Astronomy springs from ancient times. In connection with sea voyages and farm work people needed to forecast season change and orient when navigating.
Nowadays the aims of space exploration are different from the ancient ones. We are in search of other sentient beings and new habitat. After all, people are eager to perceive the mysteries of universe and foresee the Earth future.
After the launch of the first man-made satellite it became possible to observe extraterrestrial objects from space but not through the little clear atmosphere. But that was the beginning.
Astronomy is the oldest of the physical sciences. The first practical function of astronomy was to provide a basis for the calendar, the units of month and year being determined by astronomical observations....
The Universe can be defined as the vast tracts of empty space and enormous stretches of time populated sparsely by stars and galaxies glowing in the dark. More succinctly, the Universe is the totality of all space, matter, and energy.
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Our solar system consists of an average star we call the Sun, the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. It includes: the satellites of the planets; numerous comets, asteroids, and meteoroids; and the interplanetary medium. ...
Is there life on Mars? Are the Black Holes dangerous? What are the stars? We don't know exact answers to these and many other questions. Few scientific disciplines seem to generate as many mysteries and falsehoods as astronomy and, by extension, the supporting space science effort to explore the unknown. ...
Today, we watch color images of manmade probes exploring the extraterrestrial soils of other planets. Tomorrow man will replace the six-wheel robotic rover and make another giant leap for mankind. But long ago, when today was tomorrow, man's "dream" still propelled him to explore the cosmos. ...
