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Astronomer Career Questionnaire

-- | June 1, 2012

Question:

Hi, my name is Nina.
I am interested in astronomy and may take it up as a profession.
For a school task I have been asked to choose a job and answer some questions, also I must ask an astronomer of someone in this profession a few questions. So if you could take 5 minutes to answer these questions it would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

1- How would you suggest I get into this career?

Answer: Most astronomers have bachelors and doctorate degrees in physics, astronomy, or chemistry. So, the best course toward becoming a professional astronomer is to pursue studies in one or more of these three fields as an undergraduate and graduate college student.

2- What key numeracy, literacy & ICT skills does this job require?

Answer: Astronomers are usually good at math and have good computer programming skills. Since we need to write-up what we discover, astronomers also need to be good writers. So, most astronomers have all three skills you list above.

3- Can you provide a job description including an outline of specific tasks or duties?

Answer: That is a little hard to do as there are many different kinds of job that astronomers can do. These include:

Teaching and research at a university or college
Research at a government-funded lab
Observatory support for both university or government-run research facilities

The job descriptions within these broad categories can be quite varied. In general, though, they often involve some combination or research, teaching, and observatory support (as the category listings above imply).

4- What are some advantages and disadvantages of this career?

Answer: One big advantage is that most astronomers have a fair bit of freedom to pursue whatever research interests them. Also, most astronomers enjoy teaching, which is often a part of an astronomer’s job. About the only disadvantage I can think of is the fact that there is not a large pool of jobs for astronomers, so it can sometimes be hard to find a permanent job.

5- What are the most interesting and rewarding parts about being an astronomer?

Answer: Since the number of astronomers in the world is relatively small, and the universe is quite big, it is pretty easy for an astronomer to be the first human being to make a measurement of a particular object or phenomenon, thus making a “discovery”. Also, astronomical research is often quite unpredictable, so most astronomers are surprised by the measurements they make (always fun to be surprised!).

6- Does this job lead to future employment opportunities?

Answer: Yes, though as I pointed out above it can sometimes be hard to find a permanent job in astronomy. Most astronomers, though, do find rewarding careers and are, ultimately, happy with the jobs they finally get.

I hope that I have answered your questions satisfactorily. Let me know if you (or anyone else for that matter) have further questions.

Jeff Mangum

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