What is Astrophysicist: Definition and 74 Discussions

Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. Among the subjects studied are the Sun, other stars, galaxies, extrasolar planets, the interstellar medium and the cosmic microwave background. Emissions from these objects are examined across all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, and the properties examined include luminosity, density, temperature, and chemical composition. Because astrophysics is a very broad subject, astrophysicists apply concepts and methods from many disciplines of physics, including classical mechanics, electromagnetism, statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, relativity, nuclear and particle physics, and atomic and molecular physics.
In practice, modern astronomical research often involves a substantial amount of work in the realms of theoretical and observational physics. Some areas of study for astrophysicists include their attempts to determine the properties of dark matter, dark energy, black holes, and other celestial bodies; and the origin and ultimate fate of the universe. Topics also studied by theoretical astrophysicists include Solar System formation and evolution; stellar dynamics and evolution; galaxy formation and evolution; magnetohydrodynamics; large-scale structure of matter in the universe; origin of cosmic rays; general relativity, special relativity, quantum and physical cosmology, including string cosmology and astroparticle physics.

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  1. C

    I want to be a theoretical astrophysicist when I'm older, and I found

    I want to be a theoretical astrophysicist when I'm older, and I found out a few months ago that I need a UAI of 99 in the two subjects I want to do for my degree in university. (PhB degree in maths and Physics) Is this extremely hard, will it be able to fulfill my future at university? I'm...
  2. C

    How can I excel in astrophysics without being a genius?

    To become a very successful astrophysicist, what do I have to accomplish in degrees wise? I want to get a PhB in physics and maths (which you need 98.5% or higher in both subjects throughout college). Do I have to study every night for maths and physics (I usually study every night except...
  3. S

    Why everyone wants to be a Astrophysicist?

    I see it around the forums, majority of the people want to get into Astrophysicist, why is that?
  4. I

    Programs How to become a marketable PhD astrophysicist?

    Hello, The title of this thread refers to my question: How to become a marketable PhD astrophysicist ? My plan up until now was to obtain a joint honours degree in mathematics and physics, then eventually move on to a PhD in astrophysics. I have been lurking around this forum for years...
  5. T

    Want to be an astrophysicist, but am unsure.

    So, I am in grade 10 and have always had an obsession with astronomy and physics, and I would like to pursue a career in it one day as a theoretical physicist or something like that. But there's one problem, I often think that I have dyscalculia. I have a hard time remembering formulas to...
  6. T

    Physics Difference between a Theoretical Physicist and an Astrophysicist?

    What are the difference? What does each one specialize in? I've tried looking on google but I can't really find anything that explains exactly what they do.
  7. O

    Can I still become an astrophysicist?

    Im not here to complain so I will make this section short. Throughout my freshman an sophomore year life was making getting to school ridiculously hard. So I transferred into a homeschooling program for my current junior year. The only math I have is algebra1 which will be done this year (Its...
  8. T

    Physics What does an Astrophysicist do?

    What who they study? What about Theoretical physicists?
  9. A

    Physics Can i still be an astrophysicist

    Hello, I am in my final year, studying geophysics, but i have always loved astronomy and physics. Because of some circumstances(which is a very long story), i could not study astrophysics. Can i do masters in astrophysics even with my B.Sc in Geophysics, and if not what can i do to study...
  10. K

    Physics Is being an astrophysicist a good idea?

    I'm a senior in high school, and I plan on going into the field of astrophysics. However, I don't know how to job opportunities are. For as much as I want to be an astrophysicist, I don't know if it's worth it. I need to be able to get a job after college. Does anyone have any advice or...
  11. A

    Astrophysicist - destined for academia?

    Hate to be the leech who asks a question as his first post, but it has bedeviled me for too long: By earning a Ph.D in astronomy/astrophysics, is one guaranteeing themselves a one-way ticket to academia? What are the chances you could be anything but a professor or the like? I've heard that the...
  12. Simfish

    I want to become an astrophysicist. But no one cares about what I do

    If I went into, say, biology or computer science, plenty of people would be interested in what I do (by people, I usually mean curious educated people). After all, biology permeates many topics in daily life, as does computer science (since so many subjects now depend on various CS topics)...
  13. G

    Physics HEEEEEELLP MEEE (astrophysicist)

    Hi. My name is Gabe and I am 16. I have always been interested in astrophysics. I was probably born with a copy of Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time in my hand. Now with me about to go into the "real world" I need some advice on what to study in college and the availibility of a job.
  14. S

    Physics Messed up in high school and want to be an astrophysicist

    Alright, first of all I'm going to say that astronomy and physics are my biggest passion and have been since I was very young. I'm going to try and keep this small and not get too personal here, I apologize ahead of time though if I sound like I'm complaining or something. So I'm fresh out of...
  15. T

    Achieving Astrophysicist Dreams - A First-Gen College Student's Story

    Hi there, just need to give a little bit of my background before I get into my question. When I graduated high school I was confused about what to do so I decided to join the navy to figure out what I wanted to do and get college money. I enlisted to become a Missile technician on a nuclear...
  16. W

    Astrophysicist Jobs: What's Available?

    What jobs are available for Astrophysicists?
  17. M

    Would-be Astrophysicist would like some help

    Hello, I'm a 14 year old high school freshman who's looking for a career in astrophysics. The basic questions I'd like answered are: * What are some universities close to Virginia that offer programs in Astrophysics? * Are there any scholarships I can look into for financial help? * What sort...
  18. J

    Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson. Death by Black Hole

    Listen to Neil DeGrasse Tyson, author of Death by Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries. Tells the entertaining story of what it's like to be sucked into a black hole. http://fora.tv/2008/02/19/Neil_DeGrasse_Tyson_Death_by_Black_Hole"
  19. H

    Physics Career Guidance - Where Should A Seventeen Year Old Hopeful Astrophysicist Be

    I am overwhelmed by this super competitive science world - where fifteen years olds are entering university worthy research into science competitions, and students are encountering calculus in middle school. I go to a Performing Arts School in NYC which is the farthest place for one who is...
  20. marcus

    An astrophysicist (+blogger) to be aware of

    Andrew Jaffe http://www.andrewjaffe.net/blog/ His page at London Imperial College http://astro.ic.ac.uk/~jaffe/ Citation Statistics (see http://www.slac.stanford.edu/spires/) Number of citations: 5952 Citations per paper: 121 Max citations of single paper: 1006 h: 26 see...
  21. T

    Astrophysicist Salary: Opportunities & Income

    Hey guys/girls, I was wondering if some of you can tell how good are the opportunities for a phD astrophysicist worldwide and exactly how much do they get paid. One thing that's bothering me is that we study for phD level and from what I've heard, astrophysicist don't...
  22. T

    I want to be an *Astrophysicist* [Need guidance]

    ...Well,I'm a 15 years old kid looking forward to be an astrophysicist someday...however i really need guidance,so can i start building up some *aspects* that may lead me into great opportunities. First of all,I am pretty much interested in astronomy(galaxy,black holes,cosmology,planets,etc...
  23. George Jones

    Who is the famous rock guitarist who was once a Ph.D. candidate in astrophysics?

    Here a question from a midterm that I gave to an Astronomy class (non-science majors) in Fall 2005. If I give this question again, it seems that I will soon have to modify it slightly. Who, before becoming famous as a rock guitarist, was a Ph.D. candidate in astrophysics? a) George...
  24. T

    What kind of work does an astrophysicist do?

    What kind of work does an astrophysicist do?
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