The science of astronomy can definitely feel “out of this world,” but it has also led to many great inventions used in our daily lives. Here are just a few areas where the study of celestial bodies benefits life on Earth.
Communication
Five radio antennas of the Australia Telescope Compact Array in New South Wales, Australia. Astronomers working on radio astronomy in Australia are credited with inventing Wi-Fi. (Credit: CSIRO)
In the 1990s, astronomers in Australia studying black holes using radio waves contributed to the invention of Wi-Fi by developing a microchip that improved the wireless transfer of radio waves.
Their initial goal was to detect tiny exploding black holes which required the use of mathematical equations to cut through noise and produce sharp images. While the astronomers did not end up detecting these black holes, this technique was refined and put to use to allow portable devices to connect to wireless networks.
Computing
Astronomers collect an impressive amount of data to study the universe. One of the most efficient methods of processing information is grid computing. Here, computers distributed across large distances yet connected through a network work together to treat data as efficiently as possible. Astronomers, who worked for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute have refined and popularized grid computing.
Environmental Science
Studying other planets in our solar system can teach us about Earth’s changing climate. Famous climate scientists such as Dr. James Hansen (Columbia University) have developed theories and models for global warming by first studying the climate of Venus. It is thought that Venus’s atmosphere used to look more like Earth’s current atmosphere. By studying how radiation is transported through Venus’s outer gaseous layers, scientists have been able to model the effects of gasses and aerosols on our planet’s climate in a better way.
Imaging
Most mobile phones now have an integrated high-resolution camera. The small sensors in these phones known as charge-coupled devices (CCDs) were first used in astronomy in 1976.
Supersensitive CCDs were developed for the Hubble Space Telescope and many other telescopes in space and on the ground. These CCDs have been miniaturized over the years for astronomical instrumentation, making them ideal for use in personal cameras, laptops, and mobile phones.
Medicine
Medical spinoffs of astronomical technologies may be some of the most useful. A technique called interferometry used in astronomy to study radio waves is applied to medical imaging techniques used to take scans of a human’s internal organs and other soft tissue. Examples include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, computerized tomography (CAT) scans, and positron emission tomography (PET) scans.
Astronomers have contributed to medical technologies such as MRI scanners over the decades. Because space telescopes being sensitive instruments must be kept absolutely clean, totally free of dust and particles, new non-contamination techniques and devices, like air filters and cleanroom suits. These same technologies and protocols have also been applied to hospitals and pharmaceutical labs.
Timekeeping
Humans have used stars for timekeeping for thousands of years, but the methods used to do so have greatly improved with the advent of modern astronomy. In the 21st century, accurate timekeeping is done using hundreds of high-precision atomic clocks scattered across the globe. Global positioning system (GPS) satellites include their own atomic clocks, and all of these measurements must be synchronized to the orbit of Earth around the Sun, and Earth’s own rotation on its axis. These celestial motions are measured very precisely in reference to distant, immobile astronomical objects that emit radio waves, like galaxies.
Inspiring the next generation of Scientists
Human curiosity always drives us to ask questions about the universe and our place within it. Astronomy is a formal, scientific way to search the answers to basic questions, like, who are we? Where are we? Where did everything come from? What is the age of the universe? etc.
Many children first connect with science by asking these questions that astronomers have asked for the centuries. While important discoveries have greatly expanded our knowledge, more questions remain for the exploration.. Space exploration and the study of the stars have a unique way of inspiring the next generation of astronomers, engineers, scientists and leaders.