General Public - Astronomy & Astrophysics

Astronomy is the scientific study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the Earth's atmosphere. It is concerned with the physics chemistry, evolution and motion of celestial objects, as well as the formation and development of the universe. Today, the terms "astronomy" or "astrophysics" are used indistinctly to refer to this science. Space science is an all-encompassing term that describes most all of the various science subfields that are concerned with the study of the Universe, generally also meaning ‘excluding the Earth’.

Researchers of the Astrophysics and Space Science section of the ICC work in different subfields of Astronomy and Space Science, and also do some researchers of the Nuclear and Particle Physics and Gravitation, because of the close relationship that exists in some aspects between Astronomy and Particle Physics and Gravitation.

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As a science, research in astronomy consists in both observation and theorisation, but unlike other sciences, it can not make experiments, because it deals with objects that are too far away. The information is obtained through the light or other kind of electromagnetic radiation that comes from celestial objects and are detected by telescopes or other instruments. The part of astronomy that deals with observation is called Observational Astronomy. Theoretical astronomy uses this information to make physical models that can explain how celestial objects are made an how they evolve.

The ICC participates in several projects of the European Space Agency (ESA) such as GAIA, etc. Also researchers of the ICC work at leading optical telescopes such as those belonging to ESO (European Southern Observatory), and to ENO, such as the GTC (Gran Telescopio de Canarias), and other leading non-optical instruments such as VLA, XMM, MAGIC, and the future CTA project.

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For many years, subfields of astronomy had been listed according to the observed region of the electromagnetic spectrum but today they refer to specific astrophysical objects or phenomena. The most relevant subdisciplines are: Solar and heliospheric physics, planetary physics, astrometry and celestial mechanics, stellar astronomy, galactic astronomy, extragalactic astronomy and cosmology. Theoretical astronomy can be considered as a transversal subdiscipline which deals with theoretical aspects of these subfields. Astronomy has developed significant interdisciplinary links with other major scientific fields, these include: astrobiology, archaeoastronomy, astrochemistry and cosmochemistry. It is possible to further divide these subfields and make a larger list that may include other possibilities.

The ICC covers most of the topics of theoretical astronomy, involving researchers from the Astrophysics and Space Science section and from the Nuclear, Particle Physics and Gravitation section. The collaboration between both sections is particularly important in the field of High Energy Astrophysics, stellar evolution, and dark energy.

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Although astronomy has made tremendous strides in understanding the nature of the universe and its contents, there remain some important unanswered questions. Answers to these may require the construction of new ground- and space-based instruments, and possibly new developments in theoretical and experimental physics. Four key questions represent significant advances and breakthroughs that can be expected in astrophysics, in the coming two decades (extracted from "A science vision for European Astronomy"):


These are amongst the most fundamental questions in science and generate considerable interest in the general public.

 

Learn more about Astronomy & Astrophysics


  • Serviastro - Popular web page of the Department of Astronomy and Meteorology of the University of Barcelona

  • Astronomy Notes - Documents created by Nick Strobel for the introductory astronomy courses he teaches. This website is offered to the net as a resource in astronomy education.
  • Astro 161 and Astro 162 - Well illustrated descriptive treatment of Spherical Astronomy and the Solar System (Astro 161) and of stars, galaxies and cosmology (Astro 162)