Written by Riley McManus
*Notably published in the Chapin School Science Newspaper, Polaris
Astronomy, which is considered to be one of the oldest sciences, it is deeply rooted in the study of physics. Starting in the Renaissance, math was used to locate or predict the actions of planets or celestial objects. Isaac Newton then tied it to physics when he showed the physics of the solar system by looking at gravity and natural forces that appear beyond Earth. Astronomy can be thought of through this lens and is closely connected to astrophysics, which is the field of study of using physics to better understand things outside the Earth’s atmosphere. At the same time, astronomy and physics are not exactly the same because physics focuses on the laws of matter and energy, while astronomy focuses on the universe.
Since physics is the study of the laws that explain energy and force and astronomy looks at cosmology, galaxies, and the universe, physics can be used to test or understand data that help theories or observations in the field of astronomy. Commonly, astronomy is considered astrophysics, an area of physics, because it uses the principles of physics to better understand the universe and space. For example, atomic physics, which looks at behavior and states of energy of extremely small matter, can be applied to astronomy because of the overlapping subject of matter and light interactions at small scales.
By examining how physics can be specifically used in the study of astronomy, physicists can explain and design theories that examine time and energy in space. This knowledge of matter and energy can be applied to experiments or research to help us better understand subjects like planets or stars. Most physicists or astronomers who look at galaxies apply physics for research to solve problems, find new technology, discover new forms of energy, and develop theories regarding actions or events in space.
Additionally, astronomers and physicists use the help of other scientists or engineers. Many branches of physics are involved in astronomy, including electromagnetism, the physical interaction of forces, quantum physics, which is physics on an atomic scale, and mathematical physics. This all ties back to astronomy being applied to physics, and as NASA says, consists of “fundamental research, which investigates physical phenomena in the absence of gravity and fundamental laws of the universe,” and research, which helps us understand the “underlying space exploration technologies.”
In Orbit 