Why I Want To Pursue A Career In Astronomy

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Many students wonder what their future has in store for them. They can go into a wide variety of degrees. One option for a degree is a doctorate in astronomy. Astronomy has many different specialties to be an expert in. One expertise would be a solar and stellar astronomer. A stellar astronomer studies mostly the stars. Though, they also study black holes, nebulae, white dwarfs, and supernovas. A solar astronomer primarily studies the sun. They study the complex systems of the sun including atmospheres, the magnetic field, and they investigate new ways to study the sun. Astronomers spend a lot of time working on paperwork, which means they mostly work in indoor facilities or offices. Astronomers also spend part of their day collecting data for the problem they are trying to solve. For this task, they may work in a lab. A few times out of the year, they may visit an observatory. Most astronomers work in either an education institute or a federal government agency. Also, depending on their position, they may be a teacher or instructor at a college or high school level. …show more content…

This type of degree takes five to seven years to complete. After schooling, most astronomers spend two to four years studying and researching under a senior astronomer. Some of the best schools for a career in astronomy would include: MIT, Harvard, University of California Berkeley, and Princeton University. Astronomers need to have certain qualities and skills to be sufficient at their job. Good qualities required for this occupation include, the ability to solve complex problem, the ability to conduct research, the ability to work with a team, and the ability to accurately analyze data. The most important skills to have are strong math, science, English, computer, and electronic