astronomer

IPA/əˈstrɒnəmə(r)/
KK[əstrˈɑnəmɚ]IPA/əˈstrɑːnəmər/

astronomer — noun

  • astronomersingular
  • astronomersplural

1. a scientist who learns about stars, planets, and other objects in space, often b

1.nounB2
Definition

a scientist who learns about stars, planets, and other objects in space, often by using telescopes and careful measurement.

Example

Dr. Huang became an astronomer after seeing Saturn through a school telescope.

career path: become an astronomer

At the desert observatory, astronomers tracked a bright comet before sunrise.

astronomer + track a comet

Common collocations
  • amateur astronomer
  • professional astronomer
  • radio astronomer
  • leading astronomer
  • work as an astronomer
Synonyms
  • scientist

    much broader, since it can refer to any area of science

  • researcher

    broader and more neutral, without saying the field is space

  • astrophysicist

    narrower and more technical, often stressing the physics behind space phenomena

  • stargazer

    informal and often used for hobbyists or people simply watching the night sky

Grammar Patterns

become an astronomer

work as an astronomer

an astronomer at [observatory/university]

Usage Note

Often appears with verbs such as become, work as, and train as, and with places such as an observatory or a university. Distinguish from astronaut, who travels into space, and astrologer, who claims the stars affect human lives.

Common Mistakes

My cousin is an astronomer on the space station.
My cousin is an astronaut on the space station.
astronomers study space as scientists; astronauts travel there.
She wants to be an astrologer and work at the observatory.
She wants to be an astronomer and work at the observatory.
an astrologer gives star-sign advice; an astronomer does scientific research.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Astronomer is the broad everyday word for a scientist who studies stars, planets, galaxies, and other things in space. Astrophysicist is narrower and more technical: it often stresses the physics behind light, gravity, motion, and other space processes. Cosmologist is narrower still, since it focuses on the origin, structure, and overall shape of the universe rather than on individual planets or stars. Stargazer is informal and often suggests a hobbyist, not a trained scientist. So you might read about an astronomer finding a comet, an astrophysicist explaining black holes, and a cosmologist discussing the early universe, while children at camp simply become stargazers for the night.

astronomer ↗astrophysicist ↗cosmologiststargazer ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • amateur astronomer
  • professional astronomer
  • radio astronomer
  • astronomer team

Phrases

  • become an astronomer
  • work as an astronomer
  • train as an astronomer

Prepositions

  • astronomer at
  • astronomer from

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Astronomer was formed in English from astronomy and the ending -er, which names a person who does a kind of work. Astronomy reached English through Latin and French from Greek roots connected with stars and the way they are arranged or studied in the sky.