 "Cosmology
is the discipline that deals with the nature of
the Universe
as a whole. Cosmologists seek to understand the origin,
evolution,
structure, and
ultimate fate
of the Universe at large, as well as the natural laws that keep it
in order. Modern cosmology is dominated by the
Big Bang
theory, which brings together
observational astronomy
and
particle physics.
Though the word cosmology
is recent (first used in 1730 in
Christian Wolff's
Cosmologia Generalis),
the study of the universe has a long history involving
science,
philosophy,
esotericism,
metaphysics,
and
religion.
Related studies include
cosmogony,
which focuses on the origin of the Universe, and
cosmography,
which maps the features of the Universe. Cosmology is also connected
to
astronomy.
However, they are contrasted in that while the former is concerned
with the Universe in its entirety, the latter deals with individual
celestial objects. Source:
Wikipedia.
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