Tips on Becoming an Amateur Astronomer

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the journey of becoming an amateur astronomer, including career prospects, educational paths, and the challenges faced in the field. Participants share their experiences and seek advice on pursuing a degree in astronomy.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Debate/contested, Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • A participant expresses interest in pursuing a career in astronomy and seeks tips on how to become an astronomer.
  • Another participant suggests posting in academic and career guidance sections, indicating that similar discussions may already exist.
  • One participant mentions that astronomy has a low unemployment rate, attributing this to the broad skill set gained from an astronomy degree rather than a high number of job openings in the field.
  • A different participant acknowledges the low unemployment rate but highlights the relatively low pay associated with careers in astronomy.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the challenges of pursuing a career in astronomy, including job market concerns and pay. However, there are differing views on the implications of the low unemployment rate and the reasons behind it.

Contextual Notes

Participants do not delve into specific educational requirements or detailed career paths, leaving some assumptions about the job market and degree value unexamined.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in amateur astronomy, high school students considering a career in the field, and those seeking insights into the job market for astronomers.

Cosmoz1223
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Hi, I am kind of new to this forum and I am a sophmere in high school. So far my school has been interesting and I've recently been exposed to amateur astronomy. I've been at it for a year and half. In fact I've took it very seriously now. I kind of wanted it to be my career and I do have other alternatives while heading into college. But i looked at job prospects and i am tired of our economy and the way the job market is. What i wanted to do is get a 4 yr degree at some university and move on(my choice is UW or UCSB) and I just want some tips on becoming an astronomer. Any tips guys?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
You should make a post in the academic guidance and career guidance sections. Actually, there are probably posts about this already, so you may be able to do a search and find some recent ones.
 
Drakkith is totally right, but I just want to add that in fact Astronomy has one of the lowest unemployment rates amongst all the sciences (I believe less that 1%). But this is largely because (or so the article I read theorized) a degree in Astronomy gives you a wide degree of expertise in many fields, not necessarily that there are so many astronomical job positions out there.
 
Thank you guys. Yes, i can understand the unemployment it just sucks that astronomy is cool and exciting career field, yet their one of the lowest paid science careers, hmm..
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
5K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
6K
  • · Replies 20 ·
Replies
20
Views
2K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
2K
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
3K