Astronomy is both the science and hobby of studying celestial objects seen in the sky, at night of course :o). Astronomy has been around for a long time. Looking up at the sky and wondering about it, was quite possibly the first ever scientific activity.

Astronomy has roots in many different cultures, and there are several theories about the development of it. One of the most popular is that thousands of years ago, people noticed they could calculate when the best time was to plant crops and so on by looking at the stars. Some people took the idea further and suggested that the stars dictated people's lives. For a lot of the time, astronomy was considered to be predicting the future - especially tragedies - by studying the stars.

Today it is widely recognised that tragedies are not dictated by the stars. Tragedies are dictated by the media's decision of which direction to exaggerate any given event. Astronomy is now the science of studying space using a logic-based scientific platform. The idea of stars dictating people's lives has survived as astrology, but it no longer has a connection with astronomy. Astrology is often treated internally as something of a joke to the astronomical community. Suggesting the two are connected has the potential to be quite insulting

Astronomy is also a lot more than a professional science. Back yard astronomy is a globally popular hobby enjoyed by millions who like freezing temperatures, being awake at four in the morning, driving around country roads late at night, and drinking coffee. A lot of people find enjoyment in just looking up and thinking about it.

In conclusion, astronomy is just a fancy word applied to the idea of looking at and studying objects not a part of the Earth as we see them from our grounded perspective. In other words, looking at stars and planets and other celestial objects.

Ok! Now, what is the point of Astronomy?

Have you ever looked in to space and wondered just how far it goes, how huge the distances are between the stars? If there are others worlds out there?
Some of you not, but some of you have!

In recent times, astronomy has not been a priority for funding. Unfortunately most knowledge that is gained still has no immediate benefit to society and money is not always secure. For this reason, astronomy survives much more in the amateur realm than it does professionally.

There are not a great number of professionals, but there are a lot of unpaid amateurs who are involved just because they enjoy it. Amateur astronomy and professional astronomy often work hand-in-hand. Quite often, enthusiasts report observations such as meteor counts and occultation timings from their back yard. These are studied and investigated by professionals and amateurs alike.

So what's the use? At the very least if it is to be of immediate use, looking at space might one day alert us of dangers from space. Any potential dangers such as large meteorite impacts have remained relatively un-noticed for the last several million years, and probably won't be a serious threat for a very long time to come.

More generally, there are a lot of different sides to astronomy. Because of this there are a lot of different reasons why people like to get involved. As already stated, amateur observers can make a significant difference.

Some people enjoy the technical side of looking at space. This might involve recording data, calculating figures, and being rewarded with the satisfaction that they were correct. It might not even involve going outside.

Other people enjoy a more active approach. This could mean taking really great looking photographs, submitting observations, or simply scanning the sky for new phenomenon.

Another sector of people just like lying back, looking up, enjoying the night air with it's mosaic of stars, and wondering. Much of the interest comes from the wonder of what it is that we are just a tiny insignificant part.