Careers In Astronomy?

[Callisto]

I have loved astronomy for a long time. My heart drops in excitement anytime I discover a new messier object in my telescope, and astronomy is more than a science to me; its a way to escape the everyday pressure of life, and travel to a world of galaxies, nebulas and globular clusters. I definitely want to pursue a career in astronomy, someway, somehow. What should I do, should I get a phd? What colleges are good for learning astronomy/physics? I really have no one to consult about this. What careers are possible.

When suggesting careers, I must say that I enjoy my solitude, in everything I do. I wouldn't be too eager working for a boss, taking orders, especially in astronomy. Thanks. By the way, I am 15 years old.

[Stardustspeck]

If you want a career in astronomy - then yes - you need to do a PhD.
You could work in a planetarium or museum without PhD - but that's about it.

As for careers - basically it's college professor or research scientist for a government lab (e.g. NASA). either way you need a PhD.

The nice thing about either job is that you tend to have a lot of freedom. You do have a "boss", but you tend to be able to do more or less what you want (within certain limits).
I'm a university professor which means that I am more or less my own boss. I have to teach certain courses each semester, and I don;t get to set the schedule - but that's pretty much the only limit. I do work long hours, and I also mentor and advise both undergraduate and graduate students, but that is on my own schedule. I also do a lot of "outreach" - i.e. giving talks etc for the general public. And then the main part of my job is research (I study stardust). I have to write proposals to raise money and get telescope time - but in both cases it is on topics of my choosing.
This is the best job in the world. It's not easy - but I get paid to think about stardust and share my knowledge.

As for how to get there - take as much science and math as you can in high school. If you can take calculus before you get to college, this will help you a lot.
Once you get to college - make sure you get to do some research as an undergraduate - it will serve you well in getting into grad school (and remember this when picking colleges).

Feel free to contact me through my profile for more info...

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