Editing Observation (section)

{{short description|Active acquisition of information from a primary source}}{{Copy edit|date=December 2024}}{{Other uses}}
[[File:Lennuliiklust uurimas.jpg|thumbnail|Observing the air traffic in [[Rõuge]], [[Estonia]]]]
'''Observation''' in the [[natural sciences]]<ref>{{cite book | chapter-url=https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/cosmology/#AnthReasMult | title=The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy | chapter=Philosophy of Cosmology | date=2017 | publisher=Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University }}</ref> is an act or instance of [[noticing]] or perceiving<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dictionary.com/ |title=Meanings and Definitions of Words at |publisher=Dictionary.com |date= |accessdate=2022-05-13}}</ref> and the acquisition of [[information]] from a [[primary source]]. In living beings, observation employs the [[sense]]s. In [[science]], observation can also involve the [[perception]] and recording of [[data (information)|data]] via the use of [[scientific instrument]]s. The term may also refer to any data collected during the scientific activity. Observations can be [[qualitative property|qualitative]], that is, the absence or presence of a property is noted and the observed phenomenon described, or [[quantitative data|quantitative]] if a numerical value is attached to the observed [[phenomenon]] by counting or measuring.