what kind of careers in astronomy ?

[rh71]

Other than IT/computers, I don't think there's anything I'm truly drawn to besides astronomy. I'm no physics scholar - far from it... but what kind of work can one find in astronomy. JUst a what-if question, since I hardly have the degree necessary to really change careers at this point.

 

[conjur]

Telescope repairman?

 

[jadinolf]

Mirror polisher?

 

[clamum]

My friend is studying astronomy and she is also kind of questioning the job field. Maybe cataloging new space objects? I dunno.

 

[element]

Seems like to do anything new in astronomy, you'd have to discover new space objects. In order to do that you need the best telescope. That would be the hubble bubble. Course you could design a better telescope than hubble I suppose but I doubt there is a budget for that since hubble is new and there is no need for a 2nd one, besides it's likely hubble is the largest size that could be carried in the shuttle payload.

Then there is the field of looking at things beyond the visible light spectrum. Maybe something new to find there but you don't get such pretty pics like in the visual spectrum and we all know how the ATOTers like their:

:camera:?

 

[FuZoR]

teach astronomy in HS

damn did that class suck.. the professor was total nut on that stuff.

 

[AMCRambler]

Join the Chinese space program?

 

[WinkOsmosis]

You can work at Wal Mart. Unless you're a physics genius like Stephen Hawkin, why would you want to study astronomy? I guess you could go to med school or law school.

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: rh71
Other than IT/computers, I don't think there's anything I'm truly drawn to besides astronomy. I'm no physics scholar - far from it... but what kind of work can one find in astronomy. JUst a what-if question, since I hardly have the degree necessary to really change careers at this point.

I have a CS degree and a love for astronomy. When I took ASTRO in college a couple years ago, we were using lab software that looked to be about 1992 tech. The ASCII diurnal circle was indeed impressive, but it could use a rework. I always toyed with the possibility of getting a masters in astro and using the two foundations to develop better astronomy software.

I never really investigated it, but it seems like fun.

 

[Darien]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis
Unless you're a physics genius like Stephen Hawkin, why would you want to study astronomy?

Because it's neat.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis
You can work at Wal Mart. Unless you're a physics genius like Stephen Hawkin, why would you want to study astronomy? I guess you could go to med school or law school.

That's the most ignorant thing I've ever heard. There are countless productive astronomers across the world operating in research capacities.

That said, I wouldn't really want to pursue a career in astronomy. I operate on an amateur capacity, and I do it because I find the research enjoyable. In order to be truly productive you'd need a PhD and have some published ideas that's accepted in the community. If you were able to accomplish that you could become a university fellow and live a fruitful life doing research. It would be fantastic, but it's unlikely. Also consider that amateur astronomers are responsible for a great number of the discoveries made in the past.

Study quantum mechanics, study astronomy, study physics, etc. then get yourself a scope and do some observing.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis
You can work at Wal Mart. Unless you're a physics genius like Stephen Hawkin, why would you want to study astronomy? I guess you could go to med school or law school.

That's the most ignorant thing I've ever heard. There are countless productive astronomers across the world operating in research capacities.

That said, I wouldn't really want to pursue a career in astronomy. I operate on an amateur capacity, and I do it because I find the research enjoyable. In order to be truly productive you'd need a PhD and have some published ideas that's accepted in the community. If you were able to accomplish that you could become a university fellow and live a fruitful life doing research. It would be fantastic, but it's unlikely. Also consider that amateur astronomers are responsible for a great number of the discoveries made in the past.

Study quantum mechanics, study astronomy, study physics, etc. then get yourself a scope and do some observing.

Well he said he's far from being a physics scholar, which would make astronomy a better hobby for him right?

 

[SoylentGreen]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis You can work at Wal Mart. Unless you're a physics genius like Stephen Hawkin, why would you want to study astronomy? I guess you could go to med school or law school.

That's the most ignorant thing I've ever heard. There are countless productive astronomers across the world operating in research capacities. That said, I wouldn't really want to pursue a career in astronomy. I operate on an amateur capacity, and I do it because I find the research enjoyable. In order to be truly productive you'd need a PhD and have some published ideas that's accepted in the community. If you were able to accomplish that you could become a university fellow and live a fruitful life doing research. It would be fantastic, but it's unlikely. Also consider that amateur astronomers are responsible for a great number of the discoveries made in the past. Study quantum mechanics, study astronomy, study physics, etc. then get yourself a scope and do some observing.

Well he said he's far from being a physics scholar, which would make astronomy a better hobby for him right?

Maybe he should be a phone salesman and just do astronomy as the hobby.

 

[ClownBear]

If you're not fantastic with Physics or math, forget it. It's a very intense regimen.

No reason why Astronomy can't be taken as a hobby, however.

BTW, academic jobs are VERY difficult to obtain--lotsa smart people applying for a few choice jobs at ANY university.

On top of that, getting time to conduct research at a major telescope if extremely difficult. You have to submit your project application a year early (i.e. KECK) and be GOOD ENOUGH among the HUGE # of applications to get observation time for ONE night. Some kids can't even finish their PhDs b/c their thesis project submission gets rejected by the observatory application committee.

It's field that is very rewarding for the very brilliant and persistent. However, it can be very disheartening to many others

 

[Konigin]

I don't know, something out of this world

 

[CanOWorms]

One of my classmates is in the astronomy industry and now he's getting his PhD in electrical engineering. He said he's doing something with the trails of meteors as they entered the atmosphere... something about how they burn-up and by analyzing it you can find out some information about where they come from. So I'd guess that the careers in there would be pretty technical.

 

[FrustratedUser]

Just get an engineering degree and work on the technical side of astronomy such as designing telescopes or receivers. That's what I do.

The horror story in astronomy is when astronomers do engineering work.

 

[vegetation]

Pretty much need to be a scholar in physics and math else forget it and take it up as a hobby instead. Astronomy as a career involves far more than looking at pretty images of objects in space.