Outline of astronomy

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to astronomy:

Astronomy – studies the universe beyond Earth, including its formation and development, and the evolution, physics, chemistry, meteorology, and motion of celestial objects (such as galaxies, planets, etc.) and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth (such as the cosmic background radiation). Astronomy also intersect with biology, as astrobiology, studying potential life throughout the universe.

Nature of astronomy

Astronomy can be described as all the following:

  • An academic discipline: one with academic departments, curricula and degrees; national and international societies; and specialized journals.
  • A scientific field (a branch of science) – widely recognized category of specialized expertise within science, and typically embodies it
    • A natural science – one that seeks to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world using empirical and scientific methods.
  • A hobby or part-time pursuit for the satisfaction of personal curiosity or appreciation of beauty, the latter especially including astrophotography.

Branches of astronomy


History of astronomy

History of astronomy

Basic astronomical phenomena

Astronomical objects

Astronomical object

Solar System

Sun

Sun

Planets

Small Solar System bodies

Small Solar System body

Exoplanets
  • Exoplanet (also known as extrasolar planets) – planet outside the Solar System. A total of 4,341 such planets have been identified as of 28 Jan 2021.
    • Super-Earth – exoplanet with a mass higher than Earth's, but substantially below those of the Solar System's ice giants.
    • Mini-Neptune – also known as a gas dwarf or transitional planet. A planet up to 10 Earth masses, but less massive than Uranus and Neptune.
    • Super-Jupiter – an exoplanet more massive than Jupiter.
    • Sub-Earth – an exoplanet "substantially less massive" than Earth and Venus.
    • Circumbinary planet – an exoplanet that orbits two stars.
    • Hot Jupiter – an exoplanet whose characteristics are similar to Jupiter, but that have high surface temperatures because they orbit very close to their parent stars, whereas Jupiter orbits its parent star (the Sun) at 5.2 AU (780×106 km), causing low surface temperatures.
    • Hot Neptune – an exoplanet in an orbit close to its star (normally less than one astronomical unit away), with a mass similar to that of Uranus or Neptune.
    • Pulsar planet – a planet that orbits a pulsar or a rapidly rotating neutron star.
    • Rogue planet (also known as an interstellar planet) – a planetary-mass object that orbits the galaxy directly.


Stars

Variable stars

Variable star

Supernovae

Supernova

Black holes

Black hole

Constellations

The 88 modern constellations
The 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy after 150 AD
The 41 additional constellations added in the 16th and 17th centuries
Obsolete constellations including Ptolemy's Argo Navis

Obsolete constellations including Ptolemy's Argo Navis Anser

Clusters and nebulae

Galaxies

Cosmology

Space exploration
See: Outline of space exploration

Public sector space agencies

Space agencies

North Africa
  •  Algerian Space Agency
  •  National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences
  • Egypt Remote Sensing Center
  •  Royal Centre for Remote Sensing
  •  National Remote Sensing Center
Sub-Saharan
  •  National Space Research and Development Agency
  •  South African National Space Agency
North America
  •  Agencia Espacial Mexicana
  •  Canadian Space Agency
  •  NASA
  •  United States Department of Defense
    • National Reconnaissance Office
    • United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command
    • United States Space Command
    • United States Space Force
South America
  •  Agencia Bolivariana para Actividades Espaciales
  •  Brazilian Space Agency
  •  Brazilian General Command for Aerospace Technology
  •  Colombian Space Commission
  •  Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales
  •  Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica
  •  Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas
  •  National Institute for Space Research
East Asia
  •  China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology
  • China Academy of Space Technology
  • China Chang Feng
  • China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
  • Commission for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense)
  • China National Space Administration
  •  Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
  • National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan
  • National Space Development Agency of Japan)
  • National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
  • Institute for Unmanned Space Experiment Free Flyer
  •  National Remote Sensing Center
  •  Korean Committee of Space Technology
  •  Korea Aerospace Research Institute
  •  National Space Organization
Southeast Asia
  •  National Institute of Aeronautics and Space
  •  Malaysian Space Agency
  •  Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
  •  Thai Ministry of Science and Technology's Space Agency
  •  Space Technology Institute
  • Vietnam Space Commission
South Asia
  •  Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization
  •  Department of Space
    • Antrix Corporation
    • Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology
    • Indian Space Research Organisation
    • National Atmospheric Research Laboratory
    • New Space India Limited
    • North-Eastern Space Applications Centre
    • Physical Research Laboratory
    • Semi-Conductor Laboratory
  •  Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission
Southwest Asia
  •  Azerbaijan National Aerospace Agency1
  •  Iran Aviation Industries Organization
  • Iranian Space Agency
  •  Israel Space Agency
  • National Committee for Space Research
  •  TÜBİTAK UZAY
Central Asia
  •  KazCosmos
  • Kazakh Space Research Institute1
  •  Turkmenistan National Space Agency1
  •  UzbekCosmos1
Europe
  •  Austrian Space Agency
  •  Belarus Space Agency1
  •  Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy
  •  Bulgarian Space Agency
  •  Czech Space Office
  •  Danish National Space Center
  • esa European Cooperation for Space Standardization
  • European Space Agency
  •  EUMETSAT
  • European Union Satellite Centre
  •  CNES
  •  German Aerospace Center
  •  Institute for Space Applications and Remote Sensing
  •  Hungarian Space Office
  •  Space Ireland
  •  Italian Space Agency
  •  Space Science and Technology Institute1
  •  Luxinnovation
  •  Netherlands Institute for Space Research
  •  Norwegian Space Centre
  •  Space Research Centre
  •  Portuguese Space Company
  •  Romanian Space Agency
  •  Russian Federal Space Agency1
  • Russian Space Research Institute1
  • Russian Space Forces
  •  Soviet space program
  •  Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial
  •  Swedish National Space Board
  •  Swiss Space Office
  •  UK Space Agency
  •  State Space Agency of Ukraine1
Oceania
  •  Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
World
  • Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization
  • Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems
  •  Committee on Space Research
  • International Academy of Astronautics
  • International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
  • Intercosmos
  • Intersputnik
  •  Pan-Arab Space Agency
  •  United Nations
    • United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
    • United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

1 Preceded by the Soviet space program

Books and publications

Astronomers
See also: List of astronomers

See also

References
  1. "astrophysics". Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Retrieved 2011-05-22.
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