Humans are discoverers, pioneers, and adventurers who are driven to explore uncharted regions!And perhaps it is this drive that allows humans on Earth to look beyond the Earth and to the stars for answers.Looking to the stars has long been a subject of fascination for many scientists and philosophers and we seek to explain the place life has in the working of the universe. Humans have always looked to the stars. Perhaps not always for answers, but to see whether life has some purpose, or whether we are just a fortunate accident.Astrophysics attempts to answer questions such as this one, about the workings of the universe, and where we come into the picture.What is astrophysics?To understand the varied aspects that come under the umbrella of astrophysics, it is important to know what astrophysics actually is.Essentially, scientists use the laws of physics and chemistry in order to understand our place in the larger scheme of things. This means that these scientists use already-established laws to understand how human life comes into play in relation to larger cosmic objects.One of the more common misconceptions regarding the space sciences is that astronomers and astrophysics are the same. This is incorrect, as astronomers focus on a specific body in space, such as different planets or a star.Astrophysics, on the other hand, deals with understanding our role in the workings of the universe and why we are in the universe by using the laws of science.The research carried out in astronomy is a very specific part of the study of the universe. One of the more insightful analogies about the two areas of science is that astronomy is akin to wildlife photography, while astrophysics is akin zoology.One collects data, while the other observes and interprets it!Humans have always looked to the night sky. The planets and stars that are dotted across space have always been a large feature of interest, and astronomy became one of the foremost areas of research for scientists.Soon, looking at the planets and distant stars was not enough, and people began asking questions such as ‘How many stars exist in the universe?’ and ‘What is the role of the Earth in the universe?‘Theories were established, and the consensus at the time was that the Earth was at the center of the universe, and any star or planet in the universe revolved around the Earth.That theory was in place for more than a thousand years until the work of many scientists began to look at it from another perspective. Brick by brick, the wall of a geocentric model of the universe was pulled apart. This is where we trace the beginnings of astrophysics.Among the rest of the scientists, Galileo was the lynchpin for the beginnings of astrophysics. His work would analyze data, and by using his telescope to peer into the vastness of space, he gave credence to the heliocentric model of the universe.Galileo built on the research of his predecessors and presented his work. This placed the star in the center of our solar system, at the center of the universe.Not only would planets in the entire solar system orbit around the Sun, but all other celestial bodies in the far reaches of space would also orbit the Sun as well, according to this heliocentric model.Galileo’s work was suppressed by the Church. Of course, the heliocentric model was later disproven. The Sun is only one of the billions of stars in the Milky Way galaxy. The Milky Way galaxy is the galaxy in which our solar system exists.Then came Isaac Newton. Newton had recently left Cambridge University and returned to the town of his birth in order to flee the Great Plague. During this time, he would develop calculus, as well as groundbreaking ideas about light.In the year 1687, Newton published his work called the ‘Law of Universal Gravitation.’ In this, he stated that every particle that exists in the universe attracts another particle.It does so with a force directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This was the discovery of gravity.Furthermore, the work of Newton laid the foundations for scientists working to calculate the force of attraction between objects that existed in the universe. It greatly enhanced the ability of a scientist and the understanding of the great reaches of space.Arguably, this makes Newton the first astrophysicist. He developed his own mathematical tools in order to ask the necessary questions about space.Following in Newton’s footsteps was Albert Einstein. He presented his workings about the relativity of time and what role gravity played in it.Role Of Astrophysics In Space StudiesThe role of astrophysics is crucial to the way we understand the universe, the planets, and the stars within it, as well as the laws that govern everything in the universe. In order to understand the role of astrophysics in the study of space science, we needed to first trace its origins in our history.One of the most prominent discoveries that astrophysics has made was through the work of Jocelyn Bell Burnell. Initially, the project that Jocelyn Bell Burnell was working on dealt with quasars.These are giant celestial objects that are powered due to gas spiraling at high velocity into an extremely large black hole.Anomalies that existed in the data that she would collect turned out to be pulses of radio waves. She continued tracking the anomalies, noting that their frequency remained the same, and presented her work. It was thought to be a strange new radio source, in terms of the stable oscillations, which were unusual for a dwarf planet or for neutron stars.These turned out to be a version of neutron stars. The pulsating objects were named pulsars. Pulsars are spinning neutron stars that emit beams of radio waves.Astrophysics was also important to how the Milky Way galaxy was perceived in terms of the universe.Previous theories put the Milky Way galaxy at the center of the universe, rather than the Milky Way galaxy being a part of the number of galaxies that exist in the universe.It was the consensus during the ’20s that while the Sun was just a star in our solar system, similar to how other systems have their own star, it was still widely believed that the Milky Way was at the heart of it all.In 1929, Edwin Hubble discovered that the Andromeda Nebula was in fact another galaxy, and as he peered into the night sky, he saw many galaxies, with planets, black holes, and celestial bodies of their own.More importantly, Hubble’s work showed that all these galaxies were moving away from one another. The galaxies moving apart put forth the theory of the rapid and constant expansion of the universe.A conclusion was drawn, and Hubble phrased this as the farther a galaxy, the faster it receded from planet Earth, with the distance and velocity related by a constant—the Hubble Constant. This Hubble Constant is used even today.It was the most important factor in estimating the size and the age of the universe, the rate at which it has been expanding since the Big Bang and the birth of the first stars. It is perhaps one of the biggest discoveries in modern astrophysics.While the initial speed at which the universe was expanding slowed down, a team of astrophysicists proved that the rate at which the universe is actually expanding is rapidly rising due to what is called dark energy.Dark energy was the name given to the force that was accelerating the expansion of the universe.Dark matter is the namesake of dark energy. Dark matter essentially has an opposite binding effect on matter and is an invisible substance forming a universal cosmic web, making up about 27% of the universe.Initially, the cosmic web was what was thought to be keeping the universe from spinning apart, and aided in the creation of galaxies. This theory was subsequently ignored as there was a lack of evidence on the subject.When Vera Rubin began looking at galactic rotation curves, this theory was confirmed. Vera Rubin made one of the most crucial discoveries in the world of astrophysics and astronomy.Dark energy and dark matter are one of the great mysteries of space. This is simply due to the fact that we know very little about them, while they make up and contribute so largely to the workings of the universe that we live in.Now that we have discussed how astrophysics has shaped the way we perceive space, we must remember that these discoveries only go on to show how important the field is for our future.Organizations such as NASA continue to uphold research and work in the field.The rate at which we understand the universe is doubling every 10 years.One of the great contributors to this, our knowledge of space and the planet Earth, is astrophysics. The deep dive that astrophysics takes into the understanding of the universe, and the laws that govern it, is absolutely crucial.Best Books On AstrophysicsHere are some books about astrophysics!One of the most popular books to read up is ‘A Brief History Of Time’ by Stephen Hawking.Hawking is known for his work on black holes, and his book is partly about the black holes in space.Another extremely interesting book is ‘Cosmos’ by Carl Sagan. He takes you on a journey light-years across space, far from planet Earth, and into the star-filled reaches of space.What are the role and duties of an astrophysicist?It is time to take a look at the job responsibilities of being an astrophysicist.At the root of it, an astrophysicist is just a physicist specializing in the understanding of the universe. If you would like to work in this field of science, you need to have a doctoral degree.A PhD would be vital if you wish to pursue the managerial opportunities that arise in this field. These opportunities are available in organizations such as NASA especially.Astrophysicists are hired by universities, colleges, or government institutions such as NASA.The job responsibilities of an astrophysicist are varied.They are required to observe planets and other objects in the universe, conduct research on specific regions of space, perform calculations, document their work, develop conclusions from their research, and write up their research.Working in astrophysics and astronomy can be broadly similar. If you are pursuing a career in astronomy or astrophysics, you can consider career alternatives that keep you in the field of physics.Working as an aerospace engineer for NASA or other organizations is also possible if you’re interested in space. It is a career primarily based on building tools used in outer space, such as spacesuits.Additionally, working as a geoscientist is a viable path if studying planet Earth is what you want to do.
Humans are discoverers, pioneers, and adventurers who are driven to explore uncharted regions!
