Friday, 25 June 2021

ASTROPHYSICS
Astrophysics is a branch of space science that applies the laws
of physics and chemistry to explain the birth, life and death of
stars, planets, galaxies, nebulae and other objects in the
universe. It has two sibling sciences, astronomy and
cosmology, and the lines between them blur.

Astrophysicists seek to understand the universe and our place

in it. At NASA, the goals of astrophysics are to discover how the
universe works, explore how it began and evolved, and search
for life on planets around other stars

Those goals produce three broad questions

• How does the universe work

• How did we get here
• Are we alone

Because the only way we interact with distant objects is by

observing the radiation they emit, much of astrophysics has to
do with deducing theories that explain the mechanisms that
produce this radiation, and provide ideas for how to extract the
most information from it

Astrophysics as a Career

Becoming an astrophysicist requires years of observation,

training and work. But you can start becoming involved in a
small way even in elementary and high school, by joining
astronomy clubs, attending local astronomy events, taking free
online courses in astronomy and astrophysics, and keeping up
with new