Title:  Very-High-Energy Gamma-Ray Astrophysics: A View into the  
Extreme Universe

Abstract:  When viewed with the naked eye the universe appears to  
consist of hot gas.  Thermal emission from stars and dust dominates  
at optical wavelengths and most of the sources one observes are  
steady.  At TeV energies the picture of the universe changes  
markedly.  TeV radiation gives us a glimpse into the most extreme  
environments in the universe.  Supermassive black holes (1 million to  
1 billion times the mass of our Sun), neutron stars, and the  
interaction products of high-energy cosmic rays with matter and  
radiation dominate the view at TeV energies.  By studying the  
radiation from these objects we can probe of the physical processes  
that occur in the presence of extreme gravitational fields.  Despite  
this promise the field is a relatively new one and detection  
techniques are still maturing.  I will discuss the current  
observations and challenges of TeV astrophysics and plans for future  
instruments.