What is Devotional Astronomy?

I suppose an ode to the sun, moon, or other heavenly bodies could be called devotional astronomy. To me, however, that term refers to any study of those bodies that honors their Creator.

It includes the work of scientists who honor God in their writings, such as Johannes Kepler (1571-1630), discoverer of the elliptical orbits of planets, who publicly supported Copernicus’ model of the solar system twenty years before Galileo.

And Caroline Herschel (1750-1848) who discovered eight new comets, was awarded a gold medal by the Royal Astronomical Society for cataloging nebulas and star clusters, and who believed she was called by God to her work.

It includes studies by poets, such as the psalmist David who wrote,
O LORD, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens! . . .
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?” (Psalm 8:1-3)

Any one of us engages in devotional astronomy by observing the immensity of the night sky, the glory of the sun, or the beauty of the moon, and feel our smallness and the Creator’s greatness.