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Anyone out there?

Ishaha

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ronin

ronin

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Not going to like this one - a strange way of putting it but forget "astronomy" as a career. :eek: :eek: :eek:

People mainly work in something at or in an astronomy environment and related to it.

Realised this on a visit to an observatory, the person who "worked" there and did the tour was a low temperature physicist, they looked after the liquid nitrogen cooling of the cameras and sensors.

Astronomers do not look after the computers and networks that collect the data.

Astromomers do not build the telescopes.

Astronomers do not maintain the equipment.

When they go looking for supernova or comets or asteroids it is all by software, then the systems run and if they find anything they notify someone who then checks and then they might tell an astronomer if it is relevant. In the case of a supernove find then automatic messages are sent and scopes automatically slew to that position to start recording. The astronomer wakes up the next morning to news of the find and the prospect of working through the data collected.

Can you design software and develop in C ?

Because that is astronomy in more ways then one, once past the degree stage, and even at the degree stage as well.

Actually astronomers have very little to do with it all.

If you went to an observatory I would expect less the 5% of the people there to actually be astronomers. Fair chance of 0%.

Distant memory that someone on SGL was offered a role (and went) at an observatory as a project manager or program manager, too long ago to be sure. That they had an interest in astronomy likely helped but they were not an astronomer.

If you want to study astronomy (different) then degree, and then PhD as a minimum.

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ronin

ronin

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Do you want to do physics?

If you want to do physics and include some astronomy then pick whatever university with some thought.

Ideally look for one that has Astronomy/Astrophysics as a PhD offering at research also.

What a university does at their research level filters down into the BSc program, so if they have Astronomy/Astrophysics as a reserach option they will cover it well at BSc.

It was said above if you want to do Astronomy then you need to do Physics, well if you want to do Physics you need to do Maths.

I would happily say that 2/3 of a Physics degree is doing Maths.

As I recall my Physics first year was:
Physics 101 (1 unit)

Maths 101 (1 unit)

Maths 103 (1/2 unit)

Maths 104 (1/2 unit)

So 2/3 of it was Maths, but it was a Physics degree. :grin: :grin: :grin:

Some of it was even interesting. :eek:

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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The most famous "astronomer" i have ever heard of is Patrick Moore. He was though, for all intent and purposes an amateur astronomer (like the rest of us) who just happened to host a tv show. There really isnt a job/career that can be summed up in one word "astronomer". Probably all people who work in the science field of astronomy have a background in physics. 

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Tzitzis

Tzitzis

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Dude, I study Chemistry but I know a lot of people from Physics department from students to MDs and even PhDs and post Doctorals. 

Dude Physics is Ideas+Maths. I mean you learn stuff but you need maths to prove them and make them  physically "viable" (I mean for something to have physically existence you need to have a math model behind it, Ronin can explain what I'm trying to say). 

I agree 2/3 or maybe 3/4 of the degree is maths. Hard maths. The other 1/4 is physics okay :D !

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Scott

Scott

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I wanted to be a geologist when i grew up. I just didnt fancy the idea of growing a beard and wearing a jacket with brown leather patches on the elbows.

LOL.

I did/do love geography and all it entails.......be it natural geology,social,economic etc. That and biology really grabbed me in school. 

lets stay on topic for the op hey

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Ouroboros

Ouroboros

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Ronin's post says it all really. Do a physics degree with astronomy/astrophysics content. Are you at school? A careers advisor will help you to find a suitable course and advise on what qualifications are required to be accepted on a university course. Most if not all professional astronomers will have done a PhD by research in some area of astrophysics or cosmology. Most are employed in an academic position at a university or similar research institution.

I worked as a physicist but knew quite a few astronomers. Most seemed to go through the sort of career path I described above. There are also requirements for people with certain technical skills like engineering, optics, computing etc to work in astronomy related fields.

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Tzitzis

Tzitzis

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Here in Greece there is no Astrophycisist's degree. You graduate as a physicist but you can choose your scientific field in your example Astrophysics. You need a master degree which wil imply you are an astrophycisist and a PhD is even more.

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brantuk

brantuk

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There's plenty of jobs in astronomy that require no qualifications other than being an amateur astronomer. School technicians for example can manage the school telescope (or obsy if they have one). You might be able to get a job in a planetarium (eg National Space Center). Or alternatively you can apply for a job in an astronomy retail shop. Just depends how far you want to take it really - the universe is your oyster lol. :)

(Or you can qualify as a military test pilot and work you're way up to the space shuttle - just another idea).

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Ouroboros

Ouroboros

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It's also worth mentioning careers in space science. Satellites, GPS, meteorology, earth observation, space probes, rocketry and aeronautics etc. This is a growing commercial area too.

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Joseki

Joseki

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Astrophysics is a PhD degree?

A PhD is a body of independent research you undertake with some supervision (at a University), usually taking a minimum of 3 years (in the UK) - completion shows you are able to do research at a sufficient standard (since we're talking physics lets say it's like a drivers licence to be a scientist).  You can pretty much do a PhD in anything (within reason).  Entry requirements to be accepted to do a PhD at a University is usually a good grade in an undergraduate degree (e.g. a 1st) or a Masters Degree (which comes after the undergraduate degree - but the Masters can sometimes be skipped over to go straight on to do a PhD) - which also requires you get a good grade in the undergraduate degree.

... and at the end of all that they don't hand you a gold plated job for life.  Expect increasing work load, competition with other extremely bright individuals for jobs, funding, departmental politics etc. - I think you have to really love the subject.  :grin:

edit: of course a physics PhD is something a lot of companies would be interested in, so definitely worth doing if you've got the interest and talent. 

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