Astrophysik

Astrophysik (astrophysics) is the branch of astronomy that seeks to explain the physical properties and processes of astronomical objects and phenomena by applying the laws of physics and chemistry. It aims to understand how matter and energy behave under extreme conditions across the universe.

Astrophysik combines observational data with theoretical models and, where possible, laboratory work to explain objects and events such as stars, galaxies, black holes, planets, and the interstellar and intergalactic medium. It seeks to describe how these systems form, evolve, interact, and emit radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum.

Historically, astrophysik developed from the spectroscopy and thermodynamics of the 19th and early 20th centuries and advanced with quantum mechanics, relativity, and the growth of telescope technology. The field expanded dramatically with space-based observatories and large ground-based facilities, enabling detailed studies of stellar interiors, galactic dynamics, and cosmological structure.

Subfields of astrophysik include stellar astrophysics, planetary science, galactic and extragalactic astrophysics, high-energy astrophysics, cosmology, and astrochemistry. Computational and theoretical approaches, along with observations across radio, infrared, optical, ultraviolet, X-ray, and gamma-ray wavelengths, drive much of the current research.

Common methods involve multiwavelength observations, time-domain studies, spectroscopy, imaging, interferometry, and numerical simulations. Laboratory and theoretical work on matter under extreme conditions also informs models of astrophysical processes.

Education in astrophysik typically emphasizes physics, mathematics, and computational methods. Careers are found in universities, research institutes, and space agencies, where researchers seek to uncover how the universe works at its most fundamental levels.