astronomer

noun

as·​tron·​o·​mer ə-ˈsträ-nə-mər 

: a person who is skilled in astronomy or who makes observations of celestial phenomena

Examples of astronomer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Spotting a cosmic pizza Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, known as the father of modern astronomy, discovered Io on January 8, 1610. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024

But astronomers caution that the radiant is not a good guide for where stargazers should look to view the zipping meteors, which should be visible across the night sky around the globe. —Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, an international team of astronomers detected five young massive star clusters in the Cosmic Gems arc (SPT0615-JD1), a strongly lensed galaxy emitting light from when the universe was roughly 460 million years old—looking back across 97 percent of cosmic time. —Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 11 Dec. 2024

Fireball might be what astronomers call a 'bolide' Fireballs that explode in the atmosphere, explained Shaw, are called bolides, which may have been what witnesses saw Tuesday morning. —John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 10 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "one versed in astronomy or astrology," from astronomie astronomy + -er -er entry 2

Note: Alternatively, Oxford English Dictionary, third edition, and Middle English Dictionary see the English word as derived from Medieval and Late Latin astronomus "astronomer" (borrowed from Greek astronómos) plus the agent suffix -er.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above