Why Study Astronomy?

Sumit S Waghmare
B.Sc. III Physics (355)
YC Institute of Science, Satara.
THREE GOALS

 To lay platform for inventors, discoverers,

creators, leaders and animators.
 To create skilled human resource to make
mass production of tools for benefit of
humankind
 To create service class to support the tools
and craft developed by first two groups
What is Astronomy?
• Astronomy is the science which treats of the
heavenly bodies
• It investigates
 (a) their motions and the laws which govern
them
 (b) their nature, dimensions,
and characteristics
 (c) the influence they exert upon each other
either by their attraction, their radiation,
or in any other way.
Nicholas Copernicus

• Heliocentric Theory
•De Revoltuionbis Orbium Celestium – March
1543
•Earth revolves around an axis
Tycho Brahe

• Strong Opponent of
Copernicus

•A fantastic Observer

•Bit Psycho (Nose)

1572 Supernova
Johannes Kepler

•Tycho’s Assistant
•Mathematician
•Three laws of
planetary Motion
•But what was force
behind it?
Galileo Galilee

•Nature behaves according to

specific laws- Aristotle

•Only observation of nature and

logical reasoning

•But, Galileo emphasized on

experiments

•Supported Heliocentric Theory

Sir Isaac Newton
•Proposed Theory of
Gravitation

•Really, an apple?

•Three basic laws of motion

How Dinosaurs vanished?
Comet Strike?
Schumaker Lavy Impact on
Jupiter
http://www.purdue.edu/impactearth/
• Progress and Defence

• Short Term and Long Term

• Solid State Physics is surely important,

but ASTRONOMY is important too!!!
