Astrophysics Science Division

The Astrophysics Science Division supports the GSFC astrophysics projects by providing scientific leadership and supports a research program to achieve NASA's strategic science goals. The key questions addressed by the Divisions research programs include:

• How do galaxies, stars, and planetary systems form and evolve?
• What is the diversity of worlds beyond our solar system?
• Which planets might harbor life?
• What powered the big bang?
• What is Dark Energy?
• What happens to space, time and matter at the edge of a black hole?
• What are the cycles of matter & energy in the evolving universe?

  + Read more about the Astrophysics Science Division
  + Read more about our Laboratories

• Astroparticle Physics Lab
• X-ray Astrophysics Lab
• Gravitational Astrophysics Lab
• Observational Cosmology Lab
• Exoplanets & Stellar Astrophysics Lab

• Branches & Offices

Links

Astronomy Picture of the Day

HEASARC Picture of the Week

News Feature

Image Credit: NASA/Swift/Mary Pat Hrybyk-Keith and John Jones "Naked-Eye" Gamma Ray Burst Was Aimed Squarely at Earth Data from satellites and observatories around the globe show a jet from a powerful stellar explosion witnessed March 19 was aimed almost directly at Earth. NASA's Swift satellite detected the explosion - formally named GRB 080319B - at 2:13 a.m. EDT that morning and pinpointed its position in the constellation Bootes. The event, called a gamma-ray burst, became bright enough for human eyes to see. Observations of the event are giving astronomers the most detailed portrait of a burst ever recorded.   + Read more   + Archive

Division News Aug 26 - GLAST is renamed "Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope" Jul 3 - Scott Barthelmy is featured in an article in Volume 4 Issue 11 of the Goddard View. Jun 20 - NASA Selects Explorer Mission of Opportunity Investigations which include the High-Resolution Soft X-Ray Spectrometer (SXS) for NeXT, led by Richard Kelley. Congrats to the whole team! Jun 11 - GLAST launched! May 29 - The Gravity and Extreme Magnetism (GEMS) SMEX mission led by PI Jean Swank was selected for Phase A study. Congratulations to Jean and her team! Neil Gehrels is a Co-I on another SMEX selected for Phase A study: JANUS. News Archive... Press Release Archive...