Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian | 19,557 followers on LinkedIn. A collaboration between Harvard & Smithsonian designed to answer humanity’s greatest unresolved questions. | The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian is a collaboration between Harvard and Smithsonian designed to ask — and ultimately answer — humanity’s greatest unresolved questions about the nature of the universe. Founded in 1973, the Center for Astrophysics (CfA) is an ongoing collaboration between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and Harvard College Observatory designed to foster innovation and propel discovery. Our mission is to advance knowledge of the universe through research in astronomy and astrophysics and in related areas of fundamental physics and geophysics.