Studying the stars
What is the shape of the universe?
Why do stars sometimes explode? Is there life on other planets?
Scientists called astronomers and astrophysicists try to answer these
and other questions.
Most astronomers do much of their work at places called observatories.
There, they use telescopic cameras to take photographs of stars. They
study hundreds of photographs to find out the movements of stars and to
look for new objects in space. With mathematics, they figure out how far
away stars are and how fast they move.
Astronomers also listen to sounds that come from space. To do this, they
use radio telescopes that pick up radio waves. The astronomers try to
find where the sounds are coming from and what makes them.
Astrophysicists want to know what the things in space are made of. For
example, they can tell by the different colors in the light of a star
what chemicals are in the star. They also study other planets to try to
find what they are like. From the work of all these space scientists, we
are learning more and more about the amazing universe in which we live.
How far away are the stars? How many stars are there?
Astronomers use telescopes, special instruments, and math to answer
questions like these.
People Who Study the World and Space
