astrophotography
|as-tro-pho-to-gra-phy|
🇺🇸
/ˌæstroʊˈfɑtəɡrəfi/
🇬🇧
/ˌæstrəʊˈfɒtəɡrəfi/
taking pictures of stars and the night sky
Etymology
'astrophotography' originates from Modern English, formed by combining the prefix 'astro-' and the word 'photography'. 'Astro-' ultimately comes from Greek 'astron' meaning 'star', and 'photography' comes from Greek 'phōtós' meaning 'light' + 'graphé' meaning 'writing/drawing', via French/Modern English.
'Photo-' (from Greek 'phōtós') and '-graphy' (from Greek 'graphē') combined in the 19th century into French 'photographie' and English 'photography'. The combining form 'astro-' (from Greek 'astron') was later joined with 'photography' to coin 'astrophotography' in English as the technique and field developed in the 19th century (early astronomical photographs date from the mid-1800s).
Initially the elements literally meant 'light-writing of stars', but over time the compound evolved to denote the specific practice, techniques, and the images produced by photographing celestial objects and phenomena.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the practice or art of taking photographs of astronomical objects, celestial events, and the night sky using specialized cameras, telescopes, and long exposures.
She enjoys astrophotography and often travels to dark-sky sites to photograph the Milky Way.
Synonyms
Noun 2
photographs or images produced by the process of photographing celestial objects (the resulting pictures, often called astrophotographs).
His portfolio contains many stunning examples of astrophotography of nebulae and galaxies.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/08 18:38