- According to the American Astronomical Society (AAS), there are around 7,000 professional astronomers in the United States. It is estimated that about half of these astronomers are astrophysicists, which would bring the total number of astrophysicists in the US to around 3,500.
- The International Astronomical Union (IAU), which is the international body representing professional astronomers, has over 13,500 active members from around the world. While not all IAU members are astrophysicists, a significant proportion of them are. However, the exact number of astrophysicists among IAU members is not readily available.
It's important to note that these figures are just estimates and the actual number of astrophysicists worldwide could vary depending on different criteria used for classification. Additionally, the field of astrophysics is continuously growing, so these numbers may have changed since my last update.
To obtain the most current and precise information on the number of astrophysicists globally, it would be best to refer to relevant professional organizations or research institutions that specialize in astrophysics.
