Astronomy Science skills for AI agents

Comprehensive knowledge of small solar system bodies including asteroids, comets, Kuiper Belt objects, impact science, planetary defense strategies, asteroid missions, and resource utilization for authoritative scientific discussion.

Deep scientific knowledge of astrobiology: the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. Use when the user asks about the search for extraterrestrial life, biosignatures, habitable zones, extremophiles, the Drake equation, the Fermi paradox, Mars habitability, ocean worlds, exoplanet atmospheres, SETI, or the origin of life. Triggers: "astrobiology", "extraterrestrial life", "biosignature", "habitable zone", "extremophile", "Drake equation", "Fermi paradox", "SETI", "origin of life", "abiogenesis", "panspermia", "ocean world", "Europa", "Enceladus", "Mars life", "exoplanet atmosphere", "technosignature".

Expert knowledge of the intersection of particle physics and astrophysics, covering cosmic rays, neutrino astronomy, gamma-ray observations, dark matter detection, antimatter, and multi-messenger astrophysics for authoritative scientific discussion.

Comprehensive knowledge of black hole physics — formation, types, accretion, observations, and theoretical aspects. Use when the user asks about black holes, event horizons, singularities, Hawking radiation, the Event Horizon Telescope, gravitational waves from mergers, or supermassive black holes. Triggers: "explain black holes", "what is an event horizon", "Hawking radiation", "how do black holes form", "Sagittarius A*", "M87 black hole", "black hole information paradox", "explain accretion disks", "gravitational waves from black holes", "Kerr black holes", "Schwarzschild radius", "supermassive black holes", "Eddington luminosity".

Expert knowledge of numerical methods, simulation codes, data analysis techniques, and software tools used in modern astrophysics, from N-body dynamics to cosmological simulations and machine learning applications.

Deep scientific knowledge of physical cosmology: the origin, structure, evolution, and ultimate fate of the universe. Use when the user asks about the Big Bang, cosmic microwave background, dark matter, dark energy, the expansion of the universe, cosmological parameters, inflation, the LCDM model, or the fate of the cosmos. Triggers: "Big Bang", "CMB", "dark matter", "dark energy", "Hubble constant", "cosmological constant", "inflation theory", "LCDM", "expansion of the universe", "cosmic microwave background", "cosmological parameters", "fate of the universe".

Comprehensive knowledge of exoplanet detection, characterization, and habitability science. Use when the user asks about finding planets around other stars, habitable zones, biosignatures, transit methods, radial velocity, or specific exoplanet systems. Triggers: "how do we find exoplanets", "what is the transit method", "explain radial velocity", "what is the habitable zone", "tell me about TRAPPIST-1", "what is a hot Jupiter", "how does JWST study exoplanet atmospheres", "what is eta-Earth", "explain biosignatures", "Kepler mission results", "what is a super-Earth", "exoplanet atmospheric characterization".

Deep scientific knowledge of galaxies: classification, structure, formation, evolution, dynamics, and active nuclei. Use when the user asks about the Milky Way, galaxy types, galaxy formation and evolution, active galactic nuclei, quasars, supermassive black holes, galaxy mergers, spiral structure, or dwarf galaxies. Triggers: "Milky Way", "galaxy classification", "Hubble sequence", "elliptical galaxy", "spiral galaxy", "galaxy formation", "galaxy evolution", "AGN", "quasar", "supermassive black hole", "galaxy merger", "Sgr A*", "galactic dynamics".

Deep knowledge of gravitational wave theory, detection methods, landmark observations, waveform physics, source types, pulsar timing arrays, future detectors, and multi-messenger astronomy for authoritative scientific discussion.

Deep scientific knowledge of the large-scale structure of the universe: the cosmic web, galaxy clusters and groups, superclusters, filaments, voids, baryon acoustic oscillations, structure formation theory, and observational surveys. Use when the user asks about the cosmic web, galaxy clusters, superclusters, voids, BAO, large-scale structure surveys, N-body simulations, or the distribution of matter in the universe. Triggers: "cosmic web", "galaxy cluster", "supercluster", "Laniakea", "Great Attractor", "baryon acoustic oscillations", "BAO", "galaxy survey", "SDSS", "DESI", "Euclid", "large-scale structure", "cosmic void", "filament", "N-body simulation".

Comprehensive knowledge of observational astronomy techniques, instruments, and methods. Use when the user asks about telescopes, spectroscopy, photometry, astrometry, imaging techniques, astronomical surveys, coordinate systems, or atmospheric effects on observations. Triggers: "how do telescopes work", "explain spectroscopy", "what is adaptive optics", "how do astronomers measure distance", "explain redshift", "what is the magnitude system", "how does Gaia work", "explain CCD imaging", "what is seeing in astronomy", "compare Hubble and JWST", "explain the electromagnetic spectrum in astronomy".

Comprehensive knowledge of solar system science including planets, moons, dwarf planets, ring systems, planetary formation, geological processes, and space missions. Use when the user asks about any solar system body, planetary atmospheres, missions to planets or moons, or how the solar system formed. Triggers: "tell me about Mars", "what is Europa's ocean", "how did the solar system form", "explain Titan's atmosphere", "what did Cassini discover", "compare gas giants and ice giants", "what are dwarf planets", "explain planetary differentiation", "Mars rover missions", "what is the Great Red Spot", "explain tidal heating", "ring systems of Saturn".

Comprehensive knowledge of radio astronomy including the radio window, telescope designs, interferometry principles, radio sources, key science areas, and current and future facilities for expert-level scientific discussion.

Deep scientific knowledge of solar physics: the Sun's internal structure, energy generation, magnetic activity, solar cycle, space weather, heliosphere, and observational missions. Use when the user asks about the Sun, solar structure, solar flares, coronal mass ejections, sunspots, the solar cycle, space weather, the heliosphere, solar wind, solar neutrinos, or solar observatories. Triggers: "Sun", "solar physics", "solar flare", "CME", "coronal mass ejection", "sunspot", "solar cycle", "space weather", "heliosphere", "solar wind", "Parker Solar Probe", "coronal heating", "solar neutrino", "Carrington event", "solar activity".

Comprehensive knowledge of stellar physics — formation, structure, evolution, and death. Use when the user asks about how stars form, stellar classification, the HR diagram, nuclear fusion in stars, supernovae, neutron stars, white dwarfs, or variable stars. Triggers: "how do stars form", "explain the HR diagram", "what is a red giant", "how does nuclear fusion work in stars", "what is a supernova", "explain neutron stars", "what are Cepheid variables", "stellar spectral types", "white dwarf physics", "mass-luminosity relation", "explain binary star evolution", "what is the Chandrasekhar limit".