If you’ve got a zeal for star gazing, telescopes, the Hubble and the universe and this thing we call “astronomy”, you are far from alone. Naturally, we know that astronomy is a very respected science which has produced some of the most superb achievements of the twentieth century. On top of that, it’s a thriving area of obsession and one of the most exciting hobby areas going with thousands of astronomy clubs and thousands of beginner astronomers watching the stars consistently just like we do.

But were you know that astronomy is an example of the oldest and most respected sciences of them all? As far back as before the times of Christ, the smart and thinking folk of societies of the time were looking at the stars and finding methods to track and chart them. We who love the hobby of astronomy can chart a proud history of astronomers that tracks across millennia and thru just about each culture in civilization. So for the sake of having some really good minutiae to toss around at astronomy club the week after next, let’s highlight some of the big moments in the history of astronomy.

For many centuries the science of astronomy was not distinct from the practice of astrology. For clearness, astronomy is the study of the stars, planets, and the universe with a clearly scientific approach. Astrology is the study of the zodiac signs and how they influence our expansion, our personalities and our daily lives. In modern times, we as people of science discount the astrological side and concentrate on the astronomy of the heavens. But they were one study for millennia before the age of science made them separate.

There is historical evidence that astronomy was a recognized science as far back as the Babylonian civilization centuries before Christ. But the study of the stars wasn’t restricted to one country. There were similar movements going on in China, India, and traditional Egypt and all over the Arabian Peninsula. The integration of astronomy and religion is so prevalent that we see it in the Christmas story in which the Magi, Zoroastrian church possibly from the equivalent of ancient Syria, followed a star to the Christ kid. These astronomers were also astrologers and it was that mixture that lead them to join this important event.

The first book on astronomy was written by Ptolemy during the Greek empire. Since that historic publication, the who’s who list of great astronomers charts a trail right through the middle of modern science including Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Sir Issac Newton, Jung, Michelangelo, Benjamin Franklin and more not long ago even Einstein and Stephen Hawkings would join that noble list. It seemed that from the renaissance on to this day, virtually any man or lady intellect experimented in astronomy at least rather and it has always been considered an indication of the learned to know about the universe and things astronomical.

Astronomy has had an effect on so many areas of our lives that we actually don’t recognize. Many words in our language had their roots in astronomy such as:

*    Influenza which comes from the Latin root word for influence. This reflects an early belief that the moon and stars may influence health and cause or cure disease.

* Disaster which comes from the Latin for “bad star”.

* Lunatic that has the root word “Luna” in it which is the Latin word for moon. This highlights the long held belief that is even prevalent today that irrational behavior and even wild and deadly things happen during a full moon.

Astronomy and its interrelationship with astrology has influenced culture, education and religion to a particularly massive extent over the centuries. In the English language, the first two days or our week, Sun. and Monday are a reference to astronomy as their literal interpretations would be “The Day of the Sun” and “The Day of the Moon.”

So if you have found astronomy becoming a consuming passion in your thoughts and what fascinates you about the world we live in, you are in great company as this area of study has been a major part of culture and thought virtually since the dawn of civilization. And it will continue to fascinate mankind for as long as those beautiful stars shine over our heads.

To learn more about the nine planets in the solar system, visit planet-facts.com. Also, make sure to take a look at facts about the solar system.