Cosmochemistry

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The scientific discipline dedicated to exploring the chemical makeup and transformations of celestial entities is known for scrutinizing elements and compounds in space and their sources
2. This field investigates the chemical characteristics and development of cosmic bodies, emphasizing the analysis of materials present in the universe, such as those within meteorites and planets
3. The branch of science focused on understanding the elemental composition and chemical processes of celestial objects highlights the study of materials found in space, particularly within asteroids and comets

Etymology: Chemistry is the older half of this word, and its own history runs through alchemy. The Greek "khumeia" referred to the craft of transmuting metals, and Arabic borrowed it as "al-kimiya'", which passed into Medieval Latin as "alchemia". Modern chemistry shed the "al-" and took the shorter form, so the science that studies matter in the laboratory is, in its name, a survivor of alchemy. "Cosmo-" comes from the Greek "kosmos", which meant an ordered whole, the universe seen as a harmonious arrangement rather than a mere heap of things. Joined to "chemistry", it names the study of the chemical makeup of stars, planets, gas clouds and meteorites, the matter that fills space. The compound is a modern formation. English simply attached the Greek-derived prefix to the established word, so the term describes a field defined by its subject rather than by an ancient tradition.

Synonyms: astrochemistry