nonastronomical

Nonastronomical is an adjective used to describe anything not related to the science of astronomy. It can refer to topics, data, artifacts, or phenomena that do not originate from celestial observations or astronomical analysis. In addition to indicating a lack of relation to astronomy, the term may be used informally to contrast non-astronomical scale with astronomical magnitude, though the latter sense is more commonly expressed with phrases like not astronomical in magnitude.

Etymology and forms: The word combines the prefix non- with the adjective astronomical. It is commonly written as nonastronomical, but the hyphenated form non-astronomical is also encountered in prose.

Usage and context: In interdisciplinary work or everyday language, nonastronomical is used to mark boundaries outside the field of astronomy. For example, one might speak of nonastronomical data such as climate measurements or geological samples, which are not derived from astronomical instruments or observations. The term helps distinguish subjects or findings that are not part of celestial science from those that are.

Limitations and notes: While nonastronomical commonly denotes non-astronomical in scope or origin, it is less often used to describe the size or scope of something in general. In such cases, speakers may prefer phrases like not astronomical in scale or not astronomically large, depending on the context.

See also: astronomy, astronomical terminology, science communication.