Studying What is better, Astrophysics or Cosmology?

[Gjmdp]

Even though Cosmology and astrophysics are pretty much the same thing, still there are some differences. Cosmology is like more mathematical, more theoretical. If you are a cosmologist you can apply ideas from String Theory or so. But if Astrophysics is more "experimental". I mean, obviously there is Theoretical Astrophysics, but, to say something, there is too theoretical biology (and I think biology is 80% observational/experimental).

What do you guys think is better?

 

[Vanadium 50]

Which is better, broccoli or purple?

And I don't think you have the difference correct. Cosmology studies the universe as a whole, and astrophysics studies the physics of objects in space.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

What do you guys think is better?

Do you enjoy the big picture or the little details?

 

[hilbert2]

A typical question that an astrophysicist may be interested in would be the http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/~smao/starHtml/radiativeTransfer.pdf from the interior of a star to its surface, or the mechanisms of heavy element formation in supernovae. A cosmologist is more likely to study things that happen at an extremely large scale, e.g. models of universe that are not isotropic after all.