About the Course – Astrophysics

Astrophysics develops a deep understanding of the fundamental physical laws related to astrophysics. The program covers planetary, stellar, galactic, and extragalactic astrophysics as well as cosmology and observational astrophysics. Astrophysics studies the physical processes in the cosmos. It aims to interpret the universe by collecting data using a telescope in space. The laws and theories of physics are used in this process.

Astrophysics is a branch of space science that explains the birth, life, and death of stars, planets, galaxies, and other objects in the universe by applying the laws of physics or chemistry. It has two sibling sciences, astronomy and cosmology, and the lines between them blur. Astronomy and Cosmology are the two sciences that match the features of Astrophysics. However, there is a thin line of difference.

• Astronomy measures positions, luminosities, motions, and other characteristics
• Astrophysics creates physical theories of small to medium-size structures in the universe
• Cosmology does this for the largest structures and the universe as a whole.

Goal of Astrophysics
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”.

Astrophysics, therefore, deals with these three questions:

• How does the universe work?
• How did we get here?
• Are we alone?

You need analytical and critical-thinking skills, strong research skills and attention to detail, ability to gather, interpret and report data, and extensive math and physics knowledge. Studying Astronomy and Astrophysics better our understanding of Physics.

Career Prospect

Astrophysics and the space technology industry offer some of the best career paths for physics, mathematics, engineering, and computer science graduates who are seeking a professional career. It is projected that the employment opportunities in this sector will grow by 14 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations.

Students can gain employment in space and astrophysical research, physics, and high-tech research and development in:

• defense agencies
• government (Bureau of Meteorology)
• national space agencies
• research institutes
• Universities.

Employment Opportunity

Astrophysicists and astronomers earned a median salary of $114,870 in May 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A median salary is a midpoint in a list of salaries for that occupation, where half earned more and half earned less.

Course Available by Providers

The courses are generally provided at Foundation, Diploma, Bachelor (UG), and Master (PG) levels.

COURSES UNDER SCIENCE