ASTRONOMY, THE UNIVERSE, PLANETS, AND GALAXIES (INCLUDE THE MOON AND SUN)

Astronomy : From the Earth to the End of the Universe

What is the universe ? For something so mind numbingly large , it is quite simply to define - the universe is simply everything that exists However let us ponder that question . Imagine a blind goldfish born and raised in a tiny fishbowl . For that goldfish , the universe is the gallon of water , the glass boundary , and the sand and ornaments sitting at the bottom . While it is apparent to us the universe is much larger than that , for the fish that is the entire extent

of the universe - a gallon of water , a glass bowl , some sand and the rain of fish food coming from above . In some ways , mankind is that blind fish , oblivious to the extent of the universe since his universe is defined only by what he can perceive and observe . Astronomy can be seen as a tool by which mankind slowly grew his universe , from his planet , to his solar system , to his galaxy to 156 billion light years wide thing that we call our universe today

One could argue that astronomy is the first science to emerge , beating out physics , biology , chemistry and other fields of study in occupying mankind 's academic curiosity . We can say this because astronomical phenomena are probably one of the first observations made by our ancestors . It does not take a knowledge or curiosity of science to notice the presence of night and day . It does not take a scholar to notice...