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Top Document: [sci.astro] General (Astronomy Frequently Asked Questions) (2/9) Previous Document: B.17 Are humans affected psychologically and/or physically by lunar cycles? Next Document: B.19 What was the Star of Bethlehem? See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge Author: Suzanne H. Jacoby <sjacoby@noao.edu> This material is extracted from the National Optical Astronomy Observatories' Being an Astronomer FAQ, <URL:http://www.noao.edu/education/astfaq.html>. Astronomers are typically good at math, very analytical, logical, and capable of sound reasoning (about science, anyway). Computer literacy is a necessity. While not all astronomers are skilled computer programmers, all should be comfortable using a computer for editing files, transferring data across networks, and analyzing their astronomical data and images. Other valuable traits are patience and determination for sticking to a difficult problem or theory until you've seen it through---which can take years. The final product of scientific research is the dissemination of the knowledge gained, so don't overlook the importance of communication skills like effective public speaking at professional meetings and the ability to publish well written articles in scientific journals. Many of these skills are developed during one's education and training. In the U.S., a typical astronomer will obtain a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in a physical science or mathematics, then attend graduate school for 5--7 years to obtain a Ph.D. After earning a Ph.D., it is common to take a postdoctoral position, a temporary appointment which allows an astronomer to concentrate on his or her own research for about two to three years. These days, most people take a second postdoc or even a third before they are able to land a faculty or scientific staff position. If you want to become an astronomer, a general principle is to obtain as broad and versatile an education as possible while concentrating in mathematics, physics, and computing. It is not critical that your Bachelor's degree be in astronomy. Students with a strong core of physics classes in addition to some astronomy research experience are most likely to be accepted to graduate programs in astronomy. Additional information on astronomy as a career can be obtained from the American Astronomical Society, <URL:http://www.aas.org/education/career.html>, and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (contact their Publications Department, MS-28, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 01238, USA, or call 617-495-7461, ask for the brochure "Space for Women"). User Contributions:Top Document: [sci.astro] General (Astronomy Frequently Asked Questions) (2/9) Previous Document: B.17 Are humans affected psychologically and/or physically by lunar cycles? Next Document: B.19 What was the Star of Bethlehem? Part0 - Part1 - Part2 - Part3 - Part4 - Part5 - Part6 - Part7 - Part8 - Single Page [ Usenet FAQs | Web FAQs | Documents | RFC Index ] Send corrections/additions to the FAQ Maintainer: jlazio@patriot.net
Last Update March 27 2014 @ 02:11 PM
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