If I wanted to become an astronomer, how would I go about doing that?

Becoming an astronomer is as simple as stepping outside on a dark night, gazing at the stars, and thinking about what you see. You may want to purchase some books which tell you about the night sky and how to locate constellations. After you have learned to identify some constellations, I would recommend purchasing some binoculars. They are relatively inexpensive, easy to use, and a lot of fun. There are many interesting objects which can be viewed with binoculars, and I would highly recommend the book 'Touring the Universe with Binoculars' to get you started. When you feel that you have mastered exploring the sky with those, a small telescope might be worth the money.

Finally, Windows to the Universe is just one of many sites on the Internet which will introduce you to virtually any aspect of astronomy.

Becoming a professional astronomer, someone who makes a career out of astronomy, requires many special skills and a lot of hard work. But if you love science, challenging problems, and studying the stars, planets and the other fascinating inhabitants of the universe, it will be worth it! As a first step, you should take physics and math courses during high school. In college, you should major in physics or astronomy, and take math and computer courses as well. If you are interested in studying the planets of our solar system, you may want to concentrate your studies on geology. Then, in your senior year, you will apply to astronomy programs at graduate schools. Typically, an astronomy doctoral candidate spends around 6 years in graduate school. That's 10 years total time in college - more than some types of medical students!


Submitted by Kristy (Virginia, USA)
(February 4, 1998)



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Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA