Planetary Scientist :)

[mfrymus]

I believe the term would be called a Planetary Scientist, correct me if I am wrong.

Recently I made a post about helping me find a career path that is suitable for me that peaks my interests, but also is a practical job to find and work in.

I wanted to make a new post about this talking about one specific field - Planetary Science.

I'm consider myself to be very eco-friendly person, and everyone that knows me thinks the same.

I care about the earth; against the use of fossil fuels, and any pollutants or toxins. I would like to help our earth to sustain a better / safer/ cleaner life without harming our environment (such as using free energy).

I also have interests in astronomy and the study of the universe.

I believe that Studying Earth Science would be something of my interest.

I would be learning about the earth, from its origins billions of years ago, how it formed, its place in the solar system, how it has evolved, and how it is today.

Not only would I be studying our planet but everything about our nearby planets, and hopefully any exo-planets in distant solar systems.

By studying Earth Sciences and becoming a Planetary Scientist, I see two possible career opportunities:

1) Learning about the earth today (FREE ENERGY);

Understanding our impact on earth, and how to prevent any further damage by learning about free energy; HOW to create more efficient and cheaper resources of free energy. (Solar, Wind, Water, etc.)

I do believe that this would be more engineering related, I'm not really sure.

Can anyone chime in on this one? -- If it is, what sort of engineering (As a 2nd Major) would it relate to most?

2)  Study of our local planets and exo-planets;

Since it is referred to a Planetary Scientist, I would not only study our planet, but also other planets in our solar system and planets beyond.

I would love to work with the probes that study our local planets, and any other probes / telescopes that study exo-planets.

How would one get involved with this?

If taking Earth Sciences, what other course would you suggest? Astronomy? Or is Earth Sciences a good program for this?

Then again, engineering MAY also work for this too, as I'd possibly work on engineering the probes?

I see the advantages of doing a double major with Earth Sciences and anther field, possibly engineering or astronomy, or maybe something else, as long as it works with one or the two of my interests mentioned above.

BUT if taking Earth Sciences and wanting to do a career out of the two options I mentioned above, should I take a second major with Earth Sciences?  Or is there a better program that's more specific to my interests?

[symesie04]

I could be wrong but i suspect Planetary Scientist is a incredibly wide field and would take in /require extensive knowledge in Physics, Maths, Geology, Meteorology, Spectrography, chemistry etc etc. You might want to think about narrowing the field slightly and specialising in a more specific subject. In terms of of Exoplanets i guess some fields will be far more relevant than others, for instance geology is unlikely at this point in time to be of much requirement however physics, maths, spectrography would. Of course for more localised bodies then geography is very much of use. Just a thought.

[ronin]

Study of our local planets and exo-planets

My concern here is that so far the "local planets" have been anything except what we expected and our presumption that exo planetary systems would to a large extent mirror our system have also been found fairly close to 100% incorrect. We are not it would seem that good at studying planets either local or otherwise.

We cannot see them except by inference and there is little chance of seeing them at any time soon so it all seems to be more a case of fiction then anything. There was a few days back a stack of exoplanet illistrations, just every one had to be someones imagination. As mentioned we have been very wrong on the local planets but that is not stopping us stating what planets around even more distant stars are like.

One aspect to consider is that our system may actually be very rare and so just about everything else will be completely different, yet we still base exoplanets on things like Jupiter. Making the assumption that the "hot Jupiter" around star A111 is actually nothing like Jupiter and bears no resemblance to it in location, composition or construction then what is it actually like?

[symesie04]

One aspect to consider is that our system may actually be very rare and so just about everything else will be completely different, yet we still base exoplanets on things like Jupiter. Making the assumption that the "hot Jupiter" around star A111 is actually nothing like Jupiter and bears no resemblance to it in location, composition or construction then what is it actually like?

I think the term hot jupiter is used to indicate that the planet in question is a very large gaseous body rather than a smaller rocky body. Its not used in assumption of any of its orbital or composition specifications.

[mfrymus]

Well, for my second option of the two, I'd be more focused on studying our earth and our local planets (with probes hopefully) more than focusing on studying exo-planets as there really isn't much I can do with that at the moment.

But, maybe in the future if its possible to study them, I would.

I do want and I know I need to take Math, Physics, and Chemistry. Anything computer based would also be beneficial.

These courses will be available when I take the Earth Sciences program.

I'll be starting off with an undergrad program and moving my way up to obtaining a PhD or at least a Masters. We shall see.

Is there a way to take both Earth Sciences and an engineering course?

Because Id like to have the option of studying about Free Energy engineering.

[barkis]

Why not make a start here. 

I don't know if living in Canada will have any bearing on having access to the Course though/.

Ron.

http://www.open.ac.uk/courses/qualifications/s10

[mfrymus]

Unfortunately I cannot in Canada :/

Why not make a start here. 

I don't know if living in Canada will have any bearing on having access to the Course though/.

Ron.

http://www.open.ac.uk/courses/qualifications/s10

[Space_Ranger]

Hi mfrymus,

How old are you? If you want a career path in the subject areas you are interested in then academia is probably the place to do it. The corporate world is too narrowly focused and rarely at the cutting edge.

[Physopto]

You are trying to take on too much at one go. You will need a basic physics degree to start with, it may be possible to do an astrophysics degree that has some of the courses in it you may be interested in. I doubt that there is an engineering degree with enough physics content for your wishes. A physics degree is a tough degree to read for. There is a large emphasis placed on maths. You must be OK with that part or you will fail. Without the maths you have no hope of understanding the theory of most physics.

Once you get your fist degree you will then be able to add to your knowledge with another course on a branch subject at possibly MSc level. The conversion from one subject can be fraught with difficulties as the next course at a higher level will assume some knowledge of an undergraduate degree in that subject. A lot of degrees that try to cram in several different subjects leave gaping holes in required knowledge needed for the higher degree, and are not really worth doing. They sound good on paper but are a mishmash in real terms.

I went from engineering after 24 years into Optoelectronics. This is the theory of laser physics, digital and analogue electronics. Then after teaching for a while I decided to go for a research PhD in Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics. I then found I had to also learn more undergraduate maths needed for the different type of physics, to that I had read for previously, before I could understand the work I was doing. It is not just the extra load of the work it is the added cost in money and in time, but also lost family time. It takes an enormous amount of self discipline to keep going when you see others out enjoying the warm summer nights at a pub or when missing your family and friends.

Too many people whom I have seen start fail within a year, or when the first degree is done with cannot seem to face starting all over again. The loss of earnings and also paying out more and more fees starts to take its toll.

I am not trying to put you off, all I am doing is pointing out what you should consider before the start. To get all the knowledge you seem to want may take 10 or more years of study and all without a job at the end of it all. Be very careful in your choices at the start. Do your research then do it again before committing. You may never be able to recover the cost of your tuition as jobs may not be available for the wrong type or mix of qualifications. Too many people go for mishmash degrees that employers do not recognise or want, I know of several people who just cannot get jobs and have been in this position for most of their lives after gaining degrees. A friend who is now in his early 40's, still has no job, cannot get a permanent position teaching and has no pension at all, he is living hand to mouth. His PhD in theoretical physics is not helping as jobs are not abundant in that area. He lives in Canada after moving there for a Post Doc position.

I wish you luck in your endeavours but do your research in exactly what you want and what prospective employers will require.

The two may be miles apart.

Luck with your choices,

Derek