Astronomers
Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics > Science and MathematicsProjected Growth: Average
Projected Job Openings
Extensive Preparation Needed
Job Description
Your job is to Observe, research, and interpret astronomical phenomena to increase basic knowledge or apply such information to practical problems.
Common job titles of Astronomers include:
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Experience and Education
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
60.61% said they needed a Post-Doctoral Training.
30.3% said they needed a Doctoral Degree.
Tasks
Analyze research data to determine its significance, using computers.
Develop theories based on personal observations or on observations and theories of other astronomers.
Study celestial phenomena, using a variety of ground-based and space-borne telescopes and scientific instruments.
Teach astronomy or astrophysics.
Collaborate with other astronomers to carry out research projects.
Develop instrumentation and software for astronomical observation and analysis.
Serve on professional panels and committees.
Review scientific proposals and research papers.
Calculate orbits and determine sizes, shapes, brightness, and motions of different celestial bodies.
Develop and modify astronomy-related programs for public presentation.
Raise funds for scientific research.
Measure radio, infrared, gamma, and x-ray emissions from extraterrestrial sources.
Present research findings at scientific conferences and in papers written for scientific journals.
Direct the operations of a planetarium.
Tools
X ray diffractometers
Wideband pulsar processors
Wide-field mosaic charge-coupled device CCD cameras
Very long baseline array VLBA telescopes
Very large array VLA telescopes
Tilting filter photometers
Thermal evaporators
All ToolsSpectroscopes
Solar telescopes
Solar telescope filters
Single-dish radio telescopes
Scientific calculators
Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes
Scanning telescopes
Resonance fluorescence laser imaging detection and ranging LIDAR systems
Refracting telescopes
Reflector telescopes
Radio telescopes
Radio antennas
Pulsar processors
Planetary radar transmitters
Photometers
Personal computers
Optical telescopes
Optical interferometers
Near-infrared integral field spectrometers
Near-infrared imagers and spectrometers NIRI
Multi-object spectrographs MOS
Low resolution imaging spectrographs
Laser imaging detection and ranging LIDAR systems
Laptop computers
Interferometers
High resolution spectrographs
High powered binoculars
Fourier transform infrared FTIR spectrometers
European VLBI Network EVN telescopes
Electron beam ion traps EBIT
Echelle spectrometers
Ebert-Fastie spectrometers
Doppler Rayleigh laser imaging ranging and detecting LIDAR systems
Dobsonian telescopes
Differential scanning calorimeters
Desktop computers
Cryostats
Charge-coupled device CCD imagers
Baseband recorders
Ball mills
Automated telescopes
Atomic absorption AA spectroscopes
Technologies
Apache Hadoop
IBM SPSS Statistics
National Instruments LabVIEW
Abstraction plus reference plus synthesis A++
Adaptive optics AO simulation software
Analyz
Astronomical Image Processing for Windows AIP4WIN
All TechnologiesAstronomical Image Processing System AIPS
Astronomical information processing system AIPS++
Avis Fits Viewer
Data reduction software
Diffraction Limited MaxIm DL
European Southern Observatory Munich Image Data Analysis System ESO-MIDAS
Interface definition language IDL
IRIS
MSB Software Astroart
Multipurpose Interactive Image Processing System MIIPS
Software Bisque CCDSoft
Software development tools
Spectroscopy databases
Starcal
Visual Numerics PV-WAVE
Skills
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Abilities
Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Deductive Reasoning
Combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Inductive Reasoning
Choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Cognitive Abilities › Quantitative Abilities › Mathematical Reasoning
Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Comprehension
Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Written Comprehension
Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Expression
Communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Written Expression
See details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Sensory Abilities › Visual Abilities › Near Vision
Add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
Cognitive Abilities › Quantitative Abilities › Number Facility
Tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Problem Sensitivity
Identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Cognitive Abilities › Perceptual Abilities › Flexibility of Closure
Come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Originality
Arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Information Ordering
See details at a distance.
Sensory Abilities › Visual Abilities › Far Vision
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
Auditory and Speech Abilities › Sensory Abilities › Speech Clarity
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Fluency of Ideas
Generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Category Flexibility