An astronomer is generally described as a scientist who focuses primarily on the study of outer space - that includes the stars, the planets and the galaxies. In ancient times, it was described almost as a study of the unknown - people were curious about what was in the sky and wanted answers for what they considered phenomena. Despite scientific advances there is still a certain sense of mystery to what is in the skies above us, and astronomers focus on research that both allows us to analyze the stars and planets as well as letting us determine how they can help various causes on our planets as well.