Astronomers
"be a star!"
By: Emma Kellam 2nd hour
About Astronomers
- Study entire universe
- Work long or irregular hours
- Doctorate normally required
- Face competition for job
- Paid $51,000-$165,000 annually
- Benefits including paid vacation and sick leave
- Work in labs, colleges, universities, and could work for government agency
- Work 30-40 hours weekly
- Observe sky through telescopes and spectroscopes
- Study radio waves, x-rays, and cosmic rays
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Flexibility of where you work (lots of different options where you can work)
- Many benefits (including: paid vacation and sick leave, health and dental insurance, retirement plans, and profit sharing),
- Get to do what you love
- You can study a wide range of things
- Get paid up to $165,000
Cons:
- Work long/irregular hours (irregular hours means at night and also just weird hours)
- Face competition for a job (you have to be at the top of your game and know the most to get the job you want)
- A doctorate is normally required to have a job in this career
College education
- Astronomy
- Astrophysics
- Doctorate normally required for a career in astronomy
- Language (for a traveling job)
- Math
High school education
- Astronomy
- Physics
- Biology
- English
- Spanish
- Possibly a language if you want to have a traveling job
Beloit College
This is a college in Beloit, Wisconsin. Pros of this college is that there are not a lot of kids that go there, and there is also guarantee housing for first year students. But there are a few setbacks as well. Some of the cons are that they only off Bachelor degrees, expensive tuition, and entrance into the college is difficult. Contact them at admiss@beloit.edu, 608-363-2500, or on their website https://www.beloit.edu.
University of Florida
The University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida. They offer many different courses that have to do with astronomy. This university offers many different degrees, and has a $26,700 tuition. It is a public school, and has many students there. One of the drawbacks is that the housing is first come, first served. Contact them at (352)392-3261 or on their website http://www.ufl.edu.
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is located in the city of Los Angeles. This university has many options for training, and for basically anything that you would want to do. They have wifi available all over the campus, and they also have many degrees you can earn. But, the tuition is expensive. Contact them at (213)740-2311 or on their website http://www.usc.edu.
Job Advertisement
Do you find the the universe interesting? Do you like competition? If you said yes to either of those questions, being an astronomer might be the job for you! Astronomers don't only study stars, but they study the entire universe! Jon opportunities are pretty tight, so be ready for competition. Earn $51,000-$165,000 per year! You get t work in labs, colleges, universities, and you can work for a government agency. But you need a doctorate! Call 1-800-ASTRONOMMY today visit our website becomes astronomer.com
American Astronomical Society
Email: aas@aas.org
Website: aas.org
Location: 2000 Florida Ave, Nw, Suite 300 Washington, D.C. 20009-1231, USA
Phone: 202-328-2010
American Assocation of Variable Star Observers
Under "Contact Us" on their website, you can email them directly.
Website: Aavso.org
Location: 49 Bay State Road, Cambridge, MA, United States
Phone: 617-354-0484