Astronomy
Introduction

Astronomy, Muggle and Magical

• In Year One Astronomy, you will observe the skies with a magical telescope, learn about our solar system neighbours, and discover how magic reflected off astronomical objects can affect us all on Earth.
  


• Let’s begin with the field itself. Astronomers define “astronomy” as the study of the universe. Muggles and wizards alike consider topics such as observing celestial bodies (moons, asteroids, comets, planets, stars, nebulae, and galaxies), theorizing about how objects in outer space have been formed, and deducing the chemical makeup of these bodies as part of astronomy.
  
  


• There are magical and Muggle approaches to astronomy and magical and Muggle discoveries within the field, but they do greatly blend, especially prior to the International Statute of Secrecy. More recently, we've drifted further apart as our focus on magical effects and Muggles’ focus on technology has increased, but we both are still under the same umbrella of discovering the extent and limits of the universe.  Each of these approaches has its own advantages and its limitations.
  


• The advantage of the magical approach is, obviously, magic.  We are aware of this whole other side of the world to which Muggles are oblivious.  For example, astrology - the study of how the happenings in outer space influence the happenings of people on Earth - is a major subfield of astronomy as practised in the magical world. However, calling a Muggle astronomer’s field of study “astrology” would quickly result in one very angry Muggle. You see, in order to keep magic a secret, wizards have had to alter the history of the magic that Muggles have seen, making them believe that it is only myth. This includes everything from spells and charms to magical creatures and plants. Wizards have done everything from altering Muggle memories and historical texts to spreading misinformation and the idea that magic is fanciful and unrealistic. This has gone so far that those Muggles who truly believe in magic are often thought of by their peers as somewhat childlike or crazy. This extends to what many Muggles believe about the field of astrology: that it is nothing more than a bit of planetary mumbo-jumbo. Their astronomy, on the other hand, is a well respected science.
  
  


• On the other side of the ledger, astronomy is a field in which Muggles also have certain advantages. For example, Muggles are excellent at observational and theoretical astronomy. Observational astronomy focuses on finding objects in space, whether it’s by visual observation or by “seeing” an object through the analysis of data collected from space. Theoretical astronomy focuses on applying technology and astronomical concepts to a model in order to answer a question about the universe. In the field of astronomy, Muggles tend to make most of the observational discoveries and propose most of the theoretical concepts, at least in non-magical areas, while wizards focus more on magic-based theories. In fact, magical astronomers often subscribe to non-magical astronomy publications or attend Muggle institutions to get cutting-edge knowledge of observational and theoretical astronomy that they can incorporate into their own research into magic-based theory.
  
  


• What keeps wizards from being as proficient as Muggles in observational astronomy?  For one thing, magic tends to interfere with the technology they use for much of their research, like computers.  As an example, the magic in Hogwarts castle is so powerful that electricity can’t be used here. More importantly, too many wizards reject non-magical science and technology.  For example, whereas magical telescopes are an improvement over Muggle telescopes of the same size, they can’t compete with the best Muggle models, and the magical community hasn’t seen fit to make ones that can.
  
  
  
  


• That being said, magical astronomers excel at applied astronomy. To many Muggles, the heavens are no more than something pretty to look at above their heads, faraway things with no apparent influence on everyday life.  They marvel at lunar eclipses, take pictures of the sunrise, and count the shooting stars dashing across an inky black sky with their best friends. The more committed amateur astronomers may point their own telescope at the night sky and seek out known astronomical objects - or find some on their own. In contrast, wizards are often concerned about the affairs of outer space because they directly affect magical life on Earth. For example, we know that the arrangement of the stars can predict the future and that the full moon really can transform a werewolf into wolflike form.
  
  


• Astronomy is truly a subject that connects many magical fields of study. The walls that separate disciplines from each other are restrictive, and the more that we can break them down, the more we can appreciate magical learning as a whole. This course will not only help you to learn more about the magic that affects you in everyday life, but it will also help you to think in a more interdisciplinary way.