Astronomisia

Astronomisia is an interdisciplinary study that examines how human societies observe, interpret, and organize celestial phenomena across time and cultures. It emphasizes the cultural, historical, and epistemic dimensions of astronomy rather than the physical properties of celestial bodies. The field brings together methods and questions from history, anthropology, philology, archaeology, and science studies to trace how calendars, star names, instruments, and astronomical myths emerge and circulate within communities.

Researchers in astronomisia analyze ancient inscriptions and manuscripts, medieval almanacs, and early scientific treatises; they study astronomical instruments such as astrolabes and armillary spheres; and they compare calendar systems, celestial cartography, and ritual practices to understand how people relate to the sky. The approach often overlaps with archaeoastronomy and the history of science, but it prioritizes human practices, institutions, and knowledge-making processes over empirical measurements alone.

In real-world scholarship, astronomisia is not a widely recognized, separate discipline; its themes are commonly explored under the history of astronomy, archaeoastronomy, or science and technology studies. In speculative or worldbuilding contexts, astronomisia may be framed as a distinct field that investigates how societies construct meaning from the stars, or how sky-based knowledge shapes politics, religion, and education.

See also: history of astronomy, archaeoastronomy, cosmology, philosophy of science.