Augmented Reality consists of merging live images with virtual layers of
information. The rapid growth in the popularity of smartphones and tablets over
recent years has provided a large base of potential users of Augmented Reality
technology, and virtual layers of information can now be attached to a wide
variety of physical objects. In this article, we explore the potential of
Augmented Reality for astrophysical research with two distinct experiments: (1)
Augmented Posters and (2) Augmented Articles. We demonstrate that the emerging
technology of Augmented Reality can already be used and implemented without
expert knowledge using currently available apps. Our experiments highlight the
potential of Augmented Reality to improve the communication of scientific
results in the field of astrophysics. We also present feedback gathered from
the Australian astrophysics community that reveals evidence of some interest in
this technology by astronomers who experimented with Augmented Posters. In
addition, we discuss possible future trends for Augmented Reality applications
in astrophysics, and explore the current limitations associated with the
technology. This Augmented Article, the first of its kind, is designed to allow
the reader to directly experiment with this technology.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap&SS. The final
publication will be available at link.springer.co
