Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!brl-tgr!wmartin From: wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) Newsgroups: net.astro Subject: Re: Astronomers vs. astrology (long) Message-ID: <494@brl-tgr.ARPA> Date: Wed, 7-Aug-85 13:34:33 EDT Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.494 Posted: Wed Aug 7 13:34:33 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 10-Aug-85 23:47:39 EDT References: <576@ihu1m.UUCP> <42@escher.UUCP> Reply-To: wmartin@brl-bmd.UUCP Distribution: net Organization: USAMC ALMSA, St. Louis, MO Lines: 14 Interesting thought -- if and when we get out there, and actually directly observe neutron stars, the effects of black holes nearby, etc., will it really be "astronomy" any more? That is, when it is no longer theoretical speculation based on small amounts of data gathered by instruments and eyes, but "ordinary" direct observation and recording of visible phenomena, it won't be "astronomy" as we now know it, any more than "geography" is the same as "surveying". After interstellar spaceflight becomes common, will "astronomy" as a science exist any more? Or will it be subsumed into some form of practical engineering or the like? I could see general cosmology continuing as a subset of physics, but that's about it... Will