Astrophysics is a branch of astronomy that uses the principles of physics and chemistry to understand the nature of celestial objects and phenomena in the universe. It aims to explain:

• What stars, planets, galaxies, black holes, and other cosmic structures are made of
• How they form, evolve, and die
• The forces acting on them (like gravity, electromagnetism, nuclear forces)
• The behavior of light and other radiation from space

Main areas of study in astrophysics include:

• Stellar astrophysics – how stars are born, live, and die.
• Galactic and extragalactic astrophysics – structure and evolution of galaxies.
• Cosmology – the origin and fate of the universe.
• High-energy astrophysics – phenomena like black holes, neutron stars, supernovae.
• Planetary science – properties of planets and exoplanets.