From astronomy to industry From astronomy to the aerospace sector From astronomy to the energy sector. Astronomy and medicine Astronomy in everyday life Astronomy and international collaboration Summary References.
Throughout History humans have looked to the sky to navigate the vast oceans, to decide when to plant their crops and to answer questions of where we came from and how we got here. It is a discipline that opens our eyes, gives context to our place in the Universe and that can reshape how we see the world.
When Copernicus claimed that Earth was not the centre of the Universe, it triggered a revolution. A revolution through which religion, science, and society had to adapt to this new world view. Astronomy has always had a significant impact on our world view. Early cultures identified celestial objects with the gods and took their movements across the sky as prophecies of what was to come.
Take, for example, the names of the constellations: Andromeda, the chained maiden of Greek mythology, or Perseus, the demi-god who saved her. Now, as our understanding of the world progresses, we find ourselves and our view of the world even more entwined with the stars. The discovery that the basic elements that we find in stars, and the gas and dust around them, are the same elements that make up our bodies has further deepened the connection between us and the cosmos. There are still many unanswered questions in astronomy.
Pursuing these questions is a fundamental part of being human, yet in today's world it has become increasingly important to be able to justify the pursuit of the answers. The difficulties in describing the importance of astronomy, and fundamental research in general, are well summarized by the following quote:. Transferring knowledge is also easy. But making new knowledge is neither easy nor profitable in the short term.
Fundamental research proves profitable in the long run, and, as importantly, it is a force that enriches the culture of any society with reason and basic truth. Although we live in a world faced with the many immediate problems of hunger, poverty, energy and global warming, we argue that astronomy has long term benefits that are equally as important to a civilized society.
Several studies see below have told us that investing in science education, research and technology provides a great return — not only economically, but culturally and indirectly for the population in general — and has helped countries to face and overcome crises. The scientific and technological development of a country or region is closely linked to its human development index — a statistic that is a measure of life expectancy, education and income Truman, Robert Aitken, director of Lick Observatory, shows us that even in there was a need to justify our science, in his paper entitled The Use of Astronomy Aitken, Astronomy and related fields are at the forefront of science and technology; answering fundamental questions and driving innovation.
A wealth of examples — many of which are outlined below — show how the study of astronomy contributes to technology, economy and society by constantly pushing for instruments, processes and software that are beyond our current capabilities. The fruits of scientific and technological development in astronomy, especially in areas such as optics and electronics, have become essential to our day-to-day life, with applications such as personal computers, communication satellites, mobile phones, Global Positioning Systems , solar panels and Magnetic Resonance Imaging MRI scanners.
Although the study of astronomy has provided a wealth of tangible, monetary and technological gains, perhaps the most important aspect of astronomy is not one of economical measure. Astronomy has and continues to revolutionize our thinking on a worldwide scale. In the past, astronomy has been used to measure time, mark the seasons, and navigate the vast oceans. It inspires us with beautiful images and promises answers to the big questions.
It acts as a window into the immense size and complexity of space, putting Earth into perspective and promoting global citizenship and pride in our home planet. On a more pressing level, astronomy helps us study how to prolong the survival of our species. Only the study of the Sun and other stars can help us to understand these processes in their entirety. In addition, mapping the movement of all the objects in our Solar System, allows us to predict the potential threats to our planet from space.
Such events could cause major changes to our world, as was clearly demonstrated by the meteorite impact in Chelyabinsk , Russia in On a personal level, teaching astronomy to our youth is also of great value. It has been proven that pupils who engage in astronomy-related educational activities at a primary or secondary school are more likely to pursue careers in science and technology, and to keep up to date with scientific discoveries National Research Council, This does not just benefit the field of astronomy, but reaches across other scientific disciplines.
Astronomy is one of the few scientific fields that interacts directly with society. Not only transcending borders, but actively promoting collaborations around the world. In the following paper, we outline the tangible aspects of what astronomy has contributed to various fields. Some of the most useful examples of technology transfer between astronomy and industry include advances in imaging and communications.
For example, a film called Kodak Technical Pan is used extensively by medical and industrial spectroscopists, industrial photographers, and artists, and was originally created so that solar astronomers could record the changes in the surface structure of the Sun.
In addition, the development of Technical Pan — again driven by the requirements of astronomers — was used for several decades until it was discontinued to detect diseased crops and forests, in dentistry and medical diagnosis, and for probing layers of paintings to reveal forgeries National Research Council, In Willard S.
Boyle and George E. Smith were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for the development of another device that would be widely used in industry. The sensors for image capture developed for astronomical images, known as Charge Coupled Devices CCDs , were first used in astronomy in In the realm of communication, radio astronomy has provided a wealth of useful tools, devices, and data-processing methods. Scientists at the CfA are developing an open-access, low-magnetic-field human MRI instrument, that can be used for molecular imaging and the study of traumatic brain injury.
On the other side of the coin, astrophysics sometimes adapts technology from the medical field. The complicated debris leftover after a supernova explosion, known as a supernova remnant, can be hard to visualize. We only have our vantage point and cannot travel around the remnant to view the intricacies of its structure. Supernova researchers are putting this data into medical imaging software originally designed for brain scans to get a 3D model that can be viewed in degrees.
To take it one step further, the models can then be 3D printed, allowing you to hold a dead star in your hand. By pursuing scientific research, our scientists never know what might be the next big breakthrough. New detector technology means better lighter cameras. Astronomical data analysis software can be reconfigured to make cars safer.
Novel techniques in radio astronomy paved the way for wireless internet. Support Our Science. Utility Menu News Events. How can astronomy improve life on earth? Share this Page. Facebook Share on Facebook. Twitter Share on Twitter. Share on LinkedIn.
Share via Email. Protecting the Planet In , the Sun launched an enormous magnetized mass of plasma at the Earth, shorting electrical lines, starting electrical fires and knocking out telegraph communication. Research Topics. See All Staff. Our Work The need for extremely precise instrumentation in astronomy can often be transferred into the medical field.
Related News. With techniques developed in quantum mechanics, molecular spectra can be modeled by a set of discrete fundamental parameters. The knowledge of these reference molecular spectroscopic parameters is essential to correctly characterize constituents of their environments, model their spectra and atmospheric conditions. Telescopes and Instruments. However, the magnetic fields in the solar corona are very hard to observe, despite their importance in creating space weather.
And that is what astronomy can provide: a way of looking at the universe that allows you to have the proper perspective. You can gain a sense of scale, a sense of motion and a sense of regularity in an otherwise chaotic and unpredictable universe. Astronomy isn't just relevant, it's essential to freedom. The ancient Greeks understood it. Our medieval ancestors understood it. And we're growing tounderstand it too. Learn more by listening to the episode "Astro Part 1 - Why bother with astronomy?
Thanks to Mitchell L. Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community space. Paul received his PhD in Physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in , and spent three years at the Paris Institute of Astrophysics, followed by a research fellowship in Trieste, Italy, His research focuses on many diverse topics, from the emptiest regions of the universe, to the earliest moments of the Big Bang, to the hunt for the first stars.
As an "Agent to the Stars," Paul has passionately engaged the public in science outreach for several years. He is the host of the popular "Ask a Spaceman!
Paul Sutter.
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