Astronomer
An
astronomer or
astrophysicist is a
scientist whose area of
research is
astronomy or
astrophysics. Historians often argue that
ancient astronomers were priests and that this duality led to the rise of
astrology.
See also: List of astronomers
There is also a well-known painting by
Johannes Vermeer titled
The Astronomer, which is often linked to Vermeer's
The Geographer. These paintings are both thought to represent the growing influence and rise in prominence of scientific enquiry in
Europe at the time of their painting,
1668-
69.