astronomer

noun

as·​tron·​o·​mer ə-ˈsträ-nə-mər 

: a person who is skilled in astronomy or who makes observations of celestial phenomena

Examples of astronomer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The team hopes that their findings will improve astronomer’s understanding of the detailed processes that shape the universe. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 11 Apr. 2024

Similarly, in 1560, German astronomer Christoph Clavius described how birds fell to the ground during another eclipse, overwhelmed by the sudden darkness. —Trilce Estrada Olvera, The Arizona Republic, 10 Apr. 2024

Fifty years later, British astronomers Frank Dyson and Arthur Eddington performed measurements of the apparent shift of stars during a 1919 solar eclipse as an early test of Einstein’s general theory of relativity. —IEEE Spectrum, 10 Apr. 2024

Just before the eclipse, an astronomer from the science center, Paulette Epstein, would give the crowd a talk about what to expect, and give them safety tips, such as not to look directly at the sun without their protective solar-viewing glasses. —Matthew Dolan, Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2024

One study even showed that healthy young adults who caressed a robotic baby seal were happier, and felt less pain from a mild heat stimulus, than those who read an article about an astronomer. —Joanne Silberner, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024

Advances in science It's generally believed that the influential Indian mathematician and astronomer Aryabhatta is the first person who recorded observations regarding the true cause of eclipses. —Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 6 Apr. 2024

Correspondent David Pogue talks with amateur astronomer Ed Ting about what to expect during the minutes of totality; and with Cari White, chairman of the Eclipse Oversight Committee for Jonesboro, Arkansas, where the town is expecting to temporarily double in size due to eclipse tourism traffic. —David Morgan, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024

The phenomenon was named for English astronomer Francis Baily, who noted them during an annular eclipse on May 15, 1836. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 1 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "one versed in astronomy or astrology," from astronomie astronomy + -er -er entry 2

Note: Alternatively, Oxford English Dictionary, third edition, and Middle English Dictionary see the English word as derived from Medieval and Late Latin astronomus "astronomer" (borrowed from Greek astronómos) plus the agent suffix -er.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above