Careers in Astronomy
A Future in Astronomy
So you want to be an astronomer, but
what do you need to do now to get
there?
– Get involved in research and attend
research group meetings
– Study for and plan on taking the Physics
GRE – multiple times!
– Take all of the Physics classes you can
at BYU!
– Apply for summer research internships
Why do this? Because without at least
a MS or PhD you won’t get a job in
Astronomy!
– There are other jobs, similar to what you
would get with a BS in Physics, but they
won’t be doing astronomy research
Where do astronomers that get
careers in astronomy end up?
Professors at Universities
– Teach and do research
Research Scientists
– Just do research
– Observatories, Telescope Operators
– NASA Labs, Universities
Build telescopes and instruments
– Computer Programming
– Engineering, Optics
Go into Education and Public
outreach
What is my typical day like?
Teach astronomy classes from introductory level all the way up to
the graduate level
– Teach, write tests, prepare lectures, work with students
Use space and ground-based telescopes to do astronomy
– Study brown dwarfs, kuiper belt objects, exoplanets, moons of Pluto
Write papers about my research results
Write proposals to get more telescope observations
Write grants to request funding to support research and pay
students
Advise and supervise colleagues and my students
Things to think about this year
A career in astronomy requires at least a masters, but
really a PhD to have the best chance
– Plan on graduate school now
– Start thinking about when you will take the general and physics
GRE
– Take both exams even if not planning on graduate school
Learn about summer internships you can apply for and
start applying
– Usually due around Jan-Feb
– Talk to Taran Esplin or Derek Felli about their internships
Get started with a research group now
– Opens the possibility of applying for money this summer to do
research
– Start working on your senior thesis
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Astronomy research at BYU
Dr. Eric Hintz – Variable star research, Delta-Scuti stars, Xray binaries
Professor Mike Joner – Highly Accurate Photometry, West
Mountain Observatory
Dr. Victor Migenes – Radio Astronomy of Masers around
cool, evolved stars, star formation, Galaxy mergers
Dr. J. Ward Moody – AGN monitoring, ROVOR telescope,
Voids
Dr. Denise Stephens – Brown Dwarfs, Binary TNOs,
Exoplanets, Pluto’s Moons
Astronomy Faculty
Astronomy major or minor
Join astronomy research e-mail list
– http://lists.physics.byu.edu/mailman/listinfo/astronomy
Attend astronomy research group meeting
– Thursday at 11 am in N-485 (astronomy library)
– Start getting ideas for what you want to do for your
senior thesis
– Start talking to Professors about their work
– Get involved with research now
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Astronomy classes you can take at
BYU
Physics 127 – Introductory Astronomy – Descriptive, non-math
based (required for major)
Physics 227,228 – Introductory Astronomy and Astrophysics –
calculus based (required for major)
Physics 313R (sec 2) – Learn to use telescopes and planetarium
(not required)
Physics 329 – Observational Astronomy (required for major)
Physics 427,428 – More advanced astrophysics (required for major)
Geology 109 – Planetary Geology (not required)
Physics 137 – Introduction to Atmosphere and Weather (not
required)
Astronomy classes you need to
take for the minor
Physics 127 – Introductory Astronomy – Descriptive, non-math
based (required for minor)
Physics 227,228 – Introductory Astronomy and Astrophysics –
calculus based (required for minor)
Physics 313R (sec 2) – Learn to use telescopes and planetarium
(not required)
Physics 329 – Observational Astronomy (required for minor)
Physics 427,428 – More advanced astrophysics (required for major)
Geology 109 – Planetary Geology (not required)
Physics 137 – Introduction to Atmosphere and Weather (not
required)
When do you take these classes
Take 127 as soon as you can to get a good background in
Astronomy and decide if this is a major you really want to pursue
Take 227 and 228 the Fall and Winter semester as soon as you
have finished Physics 121 and Math 112
Consider taking 329 in the winter concurrent with 228
– Telescope/research class – prepare you to join a research group
Interested in planetarium or using telescopes?
– Take 313R any winter semester
– Future requirement for Astronomy TAs
Take 427 & 428 Fall and Winter your junior or senior year
– Also consider taking Physics 529 Fall of senior year
Interested in planetary geology?
– Take geology 109 in the Winter (Radebaugh and Christiansen)
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Other Course You Should Take
Learn to Love English and take classes on writing and
public speaking!
– I’m not kidding! - We write!
– If you can’t tell others about your discoveries, then no one will
ever know what you’ve done!
Take Hard Science, Math, and Computer Programming
classes, as many as you can that relate to your interests!
– Geology – became a planetary scientist
– Biology – become an astrobiologist
– Chemistry – study atmospheres around planets and star, and the
gas and dust between stars
– Physics – applies to everything in astronomy
– Computational Programming – Real languages, C++ and Fortran
Electrical Engineering has a course
Remember that Astronomy is
really applied Physics
If you want to be an astronomer, take all the physics
that you can and work as a TA in the physics labs to
prepare yourself for taking the Physics GRE!
This means that even though BYU only requires you
to take two of the following four physics courses to
graduate with your Astronomy degree, you should
really plan on taking all four if you want to go to
graduate school and do research in Astronomy!
(Physics 360, 442, 452, 471)
Astronomy Club
Don’t need to be an
Astronomy major, just have a
love for astronomy and enjoy
it as a hobby
Benefits of Joining the club
– Monthly public star parties
– Fun activities
– Training to use planetarium and
deck telescopes – astronomy
TA
– Leadership looks good on grad
school application or CV
http://lists.physics.byu.edu/m
ailman/listinfo/astroclub
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