Science Experiments | Space Observations - Introduction

Introduction

People's fascination with space goes back hundreds of years to simple stargazing and trying to understand the heavens. Today's astronomers use a wealth of tools to study space. Most astronomers are involved in measuring things, such as the speed, distance, and mass of objects in the universe. Knowing these facts can lead to further knowledge, such as the object's origin or composition. To measure things astronomers use observations and laws of the universe.

Just about everything known about space originates from the study of light given off by objects in space. The change from observing objects with the naked eye to powerful instruments was one of the major advances in astronomy. TelescopesA tube with lenses or mirrors that collect, transmit, and focus light. are one of the main tools astronomers use to gather light. Understanding the physical laws of how light and objects move also fueled astronomers' knowledge of the universe. Merging the visual data with calculations has led to awesome findings on stars, planets, galaxies, and solar systems that are far, far away.