WHO IS AN ASTROPHYSICIST ?

Astrophysicists try to understand the universe and its contents, including stars, planets, galaxies and celestial objects, by applying the laws of physics and chemistry. The terms 'astronomer' and 'astrophysicist' are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference between the two. Astrophysicists seek to understand the universe and our place in it. At NASA, the aims of its astrophysics work are to discover how the universe works, explore how it began and evolved and search for life on planets around other stars.

TYPES OF ASTROPHYSICISTS

Observational astrophysics

Observational astronomy is a division of astronomy that is concerned with recording data about the observable universe, in contrast with theoretical astronomy, which is mainly concerned with calculating the measurable implications of physical models.

Theoretical astrophysics

Physics with Astrophysics covers the full breadth of physics, but with a particular focus on astrophysical phenomena. Physics with Theoretical Physics covers the full breadth of physics, but with a strong focus on theoretical, mathematical and computational aspects of physics, rather than experimental.

Further subcategories under these two main branches of astronomy include planetary astronomy, galactic astronomy, or physical cosmology.

WHO IS AN ASTRONAUT ?

A professional space traveler is called an astronaut.An astronaut is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft.

An astronaut is a person who is specially trained to travel into outer space. Astronauts aboard a spacecraft may have different responsibilities. Typically there is a commander who leads the mission and a pilot. Other positions may include flight engineer, payload commander, mission specialist, and science pilot.

Astronauts hold a variety of ranks and positions. Each of these roles carries responsibilities that are essential to the operation of a spacecraft.

WHO IS AN ASTRONOMER ?

Astronomy can be described as the study of the universe beyond the Earth's atmosphere, while Astrophysics can be defined as a branch of Astronomy which concentrates on the physical processes associated with the entities that comprise the universe.

An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, moons, comets and galaxies in either observational (by analyzing the data) or theoretical astronomy. Examples of topics or fields astronomers study include planetary science, solar astronomy, the origin or evolution of stars, or the formation of galaxies. A related but distinct subject is physical cosmology, which studies the Universe as a whole.