What 'Astronomy' actually means ?

Astronomy is the scientific study of objects in the universe and the events that shape them. It is one of the oldest sciences and dates back to a point in human history when people first looked up at the sky and began to wonder what they saw.

Astronomy tells how the universe works by looking at what it contains.

The cosmos(term used to describe space as a whole) is populated with stars, planets, galaxies and galaxy clusters, and these are all governed by measurable physical laws and forces.

Why do people do astronomy?

The astronomer Carl Sagan once said that modern people are descendants of astronomers. Humans have always been sky watchers. Our earliest ancestors connected the motions of the Sun, Moon, and stars to the passage of time and the yearly change of seasons. Eventually, they learned to predict and chart celestial motions. They used that information to create timepieces and calendars. Accurate knowledge of the sky has always helped the navigators find their way around, whether across an ocean or in deep space.    

Humans fascination with the sky may have begun with shepherds, farmers, and navigators using the sky for daily needs, but today that interest has blossomed into science.
  

Professional astronomers use advanced technology and techniques to measure and chart objects and events very precisely.

We are, in many senses of the term, star stuff. Every atom of every living thing on Earth originated in space, and it's poetic and delightful that we evolved to look back out the light from stars that will eventually contribute their own "stuff" to create other stars, planets, and maybe even life. That's why one can say that a love of the stars is woven into our DNA. Whether we are professional astronomers or casual sky gazers, that's what draws our attention back to the depths of space. It's where we came from.