Nick Edstrom

Mr. Kocsis
CAD/ Pre-Engineering
April 14, 2015
Astronomer
Astronomy is the study of celestial objects and their properties in the
universe. In the field of astronomy is a very difficult field to enter due to the
fact that there are little job openings for astronomers. Also, the average
education level for astronomers is a post-doctoral degree which takes a very
long time and a lot of money to achieve. All that hard work pays off,
however, because the average salary for an astronomer is $100,000
annually.
There are many responsibilities of an astronomer which help them
understand the stars better. One of these responsibilities being the study and
recording of data gathered through the observation of celestial objects.
Another of these duties is to analyze data recovered from studying stars and
other interstellar objects. Developing theories based on this data and
observations is another responsibility of an astronomer. Rather than being a
professional astronomer, one could also pursue a career in the educational
side of astronomy and teach others about the subject as well. Another task of
an astronomer is to measure radio , infrared, gamma, and x-ray emissions

from extraterrestrial sources. Also, a person with an astronomical degree

could help develop instrumentation to further the technological advances in
observational technology.
Many different observational technologies are used by astronomers to
study celestial objects. Technologies like radar based surveillance systems
which are tools that use radar to image different interstellar objects. Another
fascinating piece of technology used by astronomers is the spectrometer
which uses infrared radiation to see the composition of celestial bodies.
Then, of course, there is the telescope which uses visible light to image
celestial bodies.
Being an astronomer requires a certain set of skills and knowledge to
be successful. Knowledge of physics and how extraterrestrial bodies act is
very important in the field of astronomy. The application of mathematics is
extremely prevalent in the field of astronomy. Mathematics is used to
calculate various distances and quantitative data sets in astronomy. The
knowledge of computers and electronics is required to be an astronomer.
Various computers and softwares are used for calculations and
interpretations of data throughout the field of astronomy.
In my opinion, I would love to enter the field of astronomy. The freedom
to make your own decisions on what to study or what to observe sounds very
appealing to me. Also, the study of celestial objects would be very
interesting and fun to participate in. Another factor in making this field

appealing is the pay. The average pay of an astronomer is $100,000 which

would definitely work for me.