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

Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer and astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, shared a post on X that admitted the possibility that the debris could be from a SpaceX craft that launched last August. —Jennifer Vilcarino, ABC News, 4 June 2024

The puzzle for astronomers is to determine where these moons came from, particularly given that their two theories have serious shortcomings. —The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 31 May 2024

June 3: Dean Regas, an astronomer who is also a podcaster and media figure will try to put the great scale of the universe into perspective. —Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 31 May 2024

Fortunately, a series of next-generation observatories are set to come online in the next few years — including one named after an American astronomer, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, which will spot millions of faint and previously undiscovered asteroids . —Robin George Andrews, New York Times, 20 May 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