astronomy
noun
Did you know?
The Difference Between Astronomy and Astrology
Some may find it easy to confuse astronomy and astrology. At one time, these two words actually were synonymous (that is, astronomy once meant what astrology means today), but they have since moved apart from each other. In current use, astronomy is concerned with “the study of objects and matter outside the earth's atmosphere,” while astrology is the purported divination of how stars and planets influence our lives. Put bluntly, astronomy is a science, and astrology is not.
Examples of astronomy in a Sentence
New Atlas, 29 Jan. 2026
Stargazers who own any of Unistellar’s smart telescopes, whether that be the Odyssey, eQuinox 2 or eVscope 2, can engage in observational astronomy in partnership with the SETI Institute.
—Harry Bennett, Space.com, 27 Jan. 2026
In 2012, an undergraduate student working on a summer project at the University of Cambridge found among the 200 or so pages of the Christian manuscript — called the Codex Climaci Rescriptus — a faint passage in ancient Greek concerning astronomy.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
The strongest interference seemed to come from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, which optical astronomy suggested was the center of the Milky Way.
—IEEE Spectrum, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for astronomy
Cite this Entry
“Astronomy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/astronomy. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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astronomy
noun
