In the race of choosing a good career path, students might overlook good opportunities because they find more popular ones easily available. One of these amazing opportunities is in the field of astronomy. The field itself is very interesting and those who know enough about it often end up pursuing a career in astronomy.
Astronomy
Before we move ahead and understand what all wonders the field holds, let’s understand what it comprises. As the name suggests, it is the scientific study of heavenly bodies. It is an observational science that takes place using advanced mathematical analysis and is often studied through physical and mathematical theories to support the celestial phenomena deduced through observations.
Astronomy is a vast field that uses modern and advanced technologies to get results that are as accurate as possible. To process information that comes through celestial bodies, or even to be able to observe what is happening, modern and advanced tools are a necessity. Fast computers, stable space platforms, and state-of-the-art software are common to understand the radiation from celestial bodies.
Why Pursue Astronomy in India?
There is a dire need for Indians in the astronomy field to fill different roles that facilitate the development of science. There are multiple roles that often have openings, including but not limited to:
- Astronomy Professor
- Astrophysicist
- Research Consultant
- Research Physicist
- Research Scientist
- Scientist
- Astronomer
- Physicist
The demand is high for those who have studied astronomy and thus the pay scale is also very high. To put it in perspective, freshers’ salary is more than 5 lacs in a lot of cases. This means you will cover your entire study cost of around 3.5 lacs in a single year itself. It’s a good idea to have a career in astronomy, especially in a developing country like India.
How to Become an Astronomer?
Let’s first understand what the study will entail and then discuss how to cover these by dividing the load in your study years. Astronomy covers heavenly bodies’
- Real and apparent motions as well as the laws governing them
- Forms, masses, dimensions, and surface features
- Constitution, physical condition and nature
- Effects produced upon one another via attractions and radiations
- Probable past and future
Now let’s understand how to become an astronomer and have a successful career in astronomy. To begin with, you should ideally have opted for Science or Maths as your major.
Even if you haven’t and are still interested, gaining conceptual clarity through good books will help stay at par with your peers. Moving on, there are various career alternatives you can consider.
The first option for having a career in astronomy is to graduate with a B.Tech in Computer Science. You can then further get an M.Tech/ M.Sc degree in Physics or Astrophysics. If you have the aptitude for Astronomy or Astrophysics, you can also enter the field after your B.Tech or B.E. as a research scholar. Research scholars are supposed to spend one-year doing coursework.
The next path is by completing a B.Sc and MSc degrees in Physics or Applied Physics. Post that, you may have a stable career in astronomy by cracking the CSIR-UGC-NET examination and completing PhD in Physics. A science base at the undergraduate level is crucial for understanding advanced astronomical concepts at a later level.
Another way, especially for those who would have majored in Maths, to have a good career in astronomy is to take up M.Sc Physics/ Astronomy/ Astrophysics and complete it by getting a PhD in Astronomy. It takes about 4 years to complete a good PhD programme and multiple colleges in India offer the same.
How to Make a Career in Aerospace
If this field fascinates you, you should not limit yourself and learn more about it from experts. Space is indeed an intriguing topic and you may have the calibre to achieve laurels by studying what you love.
After studying so much, your career in astronomy begins with skills you would have already acquired like continuous learning, complex problem solving, data interpretation, social perceptiveness, and critical thinking. Along with Mathematics and Physics, you will also achieve high research capacity.
If you’re still wondering how to make a career in Aerospace, it is time to understand how the above-mentioned skills will be put to use in your career. As a part of the complex Physical Sciences stream, Astronomy literally means “law of the stars” and you would be actually studying out-of-the-world phenomena.
Thus, you must uphold the roles and responsibilities given to you. Some of them would be:
- Conducting continuous research and observing the nature of matter and energy.
- Perform analysis through complex calculations and computer-assisted evaluation of data.
- Develop and apply theories and laws from experiments to problems existing in the field.
- Design computer simulations of physical data.
- Be active in conferences, seminars, and meetings.
- If you choose to pursue the teaching profession, you have to research, write research papers, present research findings, and plan class lectures.
Conclusion
Excited and involved but not sure what to do next? Still, confused and want to know more? You can reach out to the experts to personally guide you through the process and have clarity. It is crucial to have as much information as you can when it comes to matters like these.
You can avail sessions with approachable and easy-to-talk-to coaches through our feature of career counselling online. Steer your life in a different and interesting direction by availing of our services from the comfort of your home. A career in astronomy might not be as popular, but it sure is interesting and worth pursuing!
