What is Astrophysics?
Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov
Astrophysics is a branch of astronomy that analyzes the properties and interactions of cosmological objects based on known physical law. The term is slightly misleading, as anyone who goes into astronomy must also be proficient in physics. It can be said that this field is very similar to the fields of astronomy and cosmology.
The two main divisions in this field are observational and theoretical astrophysics. There is no such thing as experimental astrophysics because the scales and objects being observed are far too large or far away to experiment on with modern technology. Because light takes time to travel to us on Earth, the most distant regions of the universe are actually windows into the ancient universe, when the universe was far denser and more energetic. Because this field sometimes deals with theories of the early, compact universe, it can overlap strongly with particle physics, which provides predictions of how matter would behave in the ancient universe.
Astrophysicists are known for studying such phenomena as black holes, galaxies, superclusters, neutron stars, quasars, the Big Bang, dark matter and energy, cosmic strings, stellar evolution, the cosmic microwave background radiation, and many others. The cosmos is a good arena for studying pure physics because on such large scales, the particular type of element making up objects becomes less significant, and more general variables, such as mass and velocity, take primacy. Sometimes, this field is called "the study of the very large and the very small."
Many important insights to mankind's understanding of the universe have been contributed by astrophysicists. They have predicted the likely age of the universe, the size of the observable universe, how long the Sun will last before it exhausts its nuclear fuel, the commonness of black holes and other exotic celestial bodies, what the universe looked like billions of years ago, the average temperature of interstellar or intergalactic space, the shapes of galaxies, and the way that matter is distributed across the observable universe. Astrophysics always continues to evolve and produce new insights into the structure of the universe.
Michael Anissimov
Michael is a longtime AllTheScience contributor who specializes in topics relating to paleontology, physics, biology, astronomy, chemistry, and futurism. In addition to being an avid blogger, Michael is particularly passionate about stem cell research, regenerative medicine, and life extension therapies. He has also worked for the Methuselah Foundation, the Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and the Lifeboat Foundation.
Michael Anissimov
Michael is a longtime AllTheScience contributor who specializes in topics relating to paleontology, physics, biology, astronomy, chemistry, and futurism. In addition to being an avid blogger, Michael is particularly passionate about stem cell research, regenerative medicine, and life extension therapies. He has also worked for the Methuselah Foundation, the Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and the Lifeboat Foundation.
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![Astrophysicists study cosmic clouds and interstellar nurseries.]()
By: clearviewstockAstrophysicists study cosmic clouds and interstellar nurseries. -
![Astrophysicists study distant galaxies.]()
By: James ThewAstrophysicists study distant galaxies. -
![Large telescopes gather observational data.]()
By: phuduiLarge telescopes gather observational data. -
![Astrophysicists use Albert Einstein's theories to understand how space-time is influenced by celestial bodies.]()
By: pds209Astrophysicists use Albert Einstein's theories to understand how space-time is influenced by celestial bodies.
Discussion Comments
Time travel is possible with the right technology, maybe in the future. Remember, if you could go faster than the speed of light you could go back in time.
What would happen if the world didn't have astrophysics?
Why is astrophysics important?
Astrophysics does not have a direct correlation with applied technology.
However, all the technology we've derived in order to find out the physical processes and laws that govern the variety of phenomena occurring in the Universe, led to the development of various useful technology. The World Wide Web, for example, invented in CERN as a medium to transmit information and now is the most indispensable tool in almost anyone's lives.
Our GPS is also a result of scientific advancement. Without Einstein's general theory of relativity, our GPS would malfunction (in the sense that we'd get faulty directions) and note, this is Einstein's attempt to make sense of the universe. There are also proton beams, lasers that are developed from understanding high energy phenomena. The possibilities are endless.
To add on, there's also optics. Although I'm not so sure on the applications about it (in our lives).
How does astrophysics relate to daily life?
Time is part of our physical world, not just a concept. The measurement of time is a concept based on revolutions around the earth and cycles of the moon. It does exist as a fourth unseen dimension. Recent advances in quantum physics shows this.
Time travel is possible but not backward as Stephen Hawking has pointed out. For instance, as you approach the speed of light in a moving object, for instance a train, the quantum particles physically slow down time within the train to prevent anything from reaching or breaking speed of light because say you were traveling 99.999..percent the speed of light and then run forward in the train you could theoretically break the speed of light.
Therefore the particles compensate for that. So as time is moving slower for you, inside time continues as normal outside and you will age much slower than normal and could essentially skip much further ahead in time then you would normally be able to.
Time travel will never be possible. It has no substance or being, therefore it instantly is gone as soon as it came. Time does not exist in the sense of visiting different parts of it.
Actually, time is a genuine aspect of our physical reality, not merely a convenient theoretical construct designed to organize our experiences.
Time is a concept! It does not have matter. It is a concept developed by human minds as a means to remember the past. By no means should anyone be able to travel "back in time" or "to the future"
Actually, there are specific circumstances that make time travel physically possible, though by no means feasible from an engineering standpoint!
Perhaps the most referenced involves building an infinitely long cylinder and causing it to rotate at speeds comparable to that of light. The relativistic speeds of the rotating cylinder would have a warping effect on the space surrounding it, so, theoretically, anyone who entered this space would be "swept up" in the metaphorical "tailwind" (of space itself, paradoxically enough) and transported back in time. One drawback of this method is that it is incapable of taking a traveler back in time prior to the creation of the contraption itself. That and the fact that you would certainly be hard-pressed to find a contractor able to produce for you an infinitely long cylinder, no matter how deep your pockets!
technically, time travel has been partially discovered by Einstein. But we just need to find a way to get back through time!
What are the possibilities of time travel actually being plausible and not just science fiction?
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