
How did the universe evolve? How can we explain its objects? Does life exist elsewhere?
With remarkable new technologies, scientists are tracing the faintest of trails into the farthest reaches of space, allowing deeper exploration into the history of the universe and the panoply of objects within it, from exoplanets to supermassive black holes.
Astrophysics Programs

Search for Life in the Universe
Supporting interdisciplinary inquiry into the emergence of life and its place in the universe
Learn moreAstrophysics News
Explore the latest news, events, and discoveries from the field of astrophysics.
See All NewsResearchers share what they are excited for in the future
Nov 17, 2023
Astrophysics Profile
Kavli Prize Laureate Conny Aerts hosts Kavli Scholar studying machine learning
Oct 25, 2023
Astrophysics Profile
Observing the universe's phenomena en masse holds promise for solving fundamental mysteries about how the cosmos and its constituents have taken shape
Oct 20, 2023
Astrophysics Profile
Astronomers are seeking to uncover the many cosmos goings-on that transpire quickly in invisible wavebands of light
Oct 03, 2023
Astrophysics Science Spotlights
New Kavli-Laukien Postdoctoral Fellowship Program and Inaugural Scholars Announced
Sep 05, 2023
Astrophysics
Program helps scholars transition to new work environments to continue scientific research
Jul 27, 2023
Astrophysics Science Spotlights
Scialog: Signatures of life in the universe
Jul 14, 2023
Astrophysics Profile
Kavli astrophysics institute researchers have leveraged the might of JWST to see the previously unobservable dim galaxies that host bright quasars
Jul 10, 2023
Astrophysics Profile
Jia Liu, inaugural director of Kavli IPMU's new center, brings creativity and purpose to the looming challenge of big data
Jun 22, 2023
Astrophysics Research Highlights
Members of Kavli astrophysics institutes often appear together as coauthors on scientific papers
Jun 02, 2023
Kavli Astrophysics Institutes
- Kavli Institute for Astronomy and AstrophysicsPeking University-Beijing
- Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space ResearchMassachusetts Institute of Technology
- Kavli Institute for Cosmological PhysicsUniversity of Chicago
- Kavli Institute for CosmologyUniversity of Cambridge
- Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and CosmologyStanford University
- Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the UniverseUniversity of Tokyo
The Kavli Prize in Astrophysics
The Kavli Prize in Astrophysics is awarded for outstanding achievement in advancing our knowledge and understanding of the origin, evolution and properties of the universe, including the fields of cosmology, astrophysics, astronomy, planetary science, solar physics, space science, astrobiology, astronomical and astrophysical instrumentation, and particle astrophysics.
The heaven is the largest laboratory of all, so big and powerful it excites and astounds our imagination. Scientists are unlocking the secrets of the universe from the beginning into eternity, thanks to astrophysics.
- Fred Kavli