Definition of ASTRONOMY

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

Recent Examples on the Web If this new model is correct, hunting for this type of optical signature could become a new observing strategy in the broader context of multi-messenger astronomy. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Astronomers think this black hole collision may have exploded with light," 25 June 2020 Large projects are kicking off, funds are materializing, and astronomy courses now include a broader perspective on humanity’s place in the universe. — Nadia Drake, National Geographic, "My dad launched the quest to find alien intelligence. It changed astronomy.," 19 June 2020 In early March, an astronomy student from the University of British Columbia discovered 17 new exoplanets, including one that is roughly the same size as Earth. — Fox News, "6 billion 'Earth-like' planets in the Milky Way galaxy, study suggests," 18 June 2020 Stargazers and astronomy-lovers can get their fill of gorgeous dark skies over the Arizona desert. — Andrea Romano, Travel + Leisure, "Grand Canyon National Park Is Hosting a Virtual Stargazing Party All Week," 15 June 2020 Where, or even whether, true Earth-twins exist remains one of astronomy's top mysteries. — Charlie Wood, Popular Science, "We’re one step closer to tracking down another Earth," 28 Aug. 2019 Astrology was important in sixteenth-century Italy, not yet separate from the discipline of astronomy, and Michelangelo’s father, as a minor aristocrat, took care to have a professional cast his newborn son’s horoscope. — Ingrid D. Rowland, The New York Review of Books, "He Made Stone Speak," 17 June 2020 These presentations are live and are a great opportunity to ask the experts questions about astronomy. — Andrea Romano, Travel + Leisure, "Grand Canyon National Park Is Hosting a Virtual Stargazing Party All Week," 15 June 2020 The discovery marked the culmination of 60 years of effort by physicists around the world to detect neutrinos from beyond our galaxy and heralded the arrival of the new science of neutrino astronomy. — Daniel Oberhaus, Wired, "The Hunt Is On for Elusive Ghost Particles in Antarctica," 12 June 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'astronomy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.