1. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642): Although primarily known as an astronomer, Galileo’s observations and experiments laid the foundation for modern astrophysics.

2. Isaac Newton (1643-1727): Newton’s laws of motion and universal gravitation revolutionized our understanding of celestial mechanics.

3. Albert Einstein (1879-1955): Einstein’s theory of relativity transformed our understanding of space, time, and gravity, leading to modern cosmology.

4. Edwin Hubble (1889-1953): Hubble’s discovery of the expanding universe provided strong evidence for the Big Bang theory.

5. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (1910-1995): Chandrasekhar’s work on the evolution of stars led to the discovery of the Chandrasekhar limit, crucial for understanding black holes.

6. Carl Sagan (1934-1996): An astrophysicist, cosmologist, and science communicator, Sagan popularized science and astronomy through books and television series like “Cosmos.”

7. Stephen Hawking (1942-2018): Known for his groundbreaking work on black holes and theoretical physics, Hawking made complex scientific ideas accessible to the public.

8. Andrea Ghez (1965- ): Ghez is an astronomer known for her pioneering work in discovering the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy, confirming Einstein’s theory of general relativity.

9. Kip Thorne (1940- ): Thorne is a theoretical physicist known for his contributions to gravitational physics and astrophysics, including his work on gravitational waves, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2017.

10. Vera Rubin (1928-2016): An astronomer who provided evidence for the existence of dark matter by studying the rotation curves of galaxies.

This list is by no means exhaustive, and there are many other astrophysicists who have made significant contributions to the field. The contributions of scientists are often interconnected and build upon the work of their predecessors, leading to a collective advancement of knowledge in the field of astrophysics.