Astronomy is the most ancient of the natural sciences. It's the only method in which you can learn and experience mechanics at work throughout the world without being able to directly touch anything you're looking at. Surprisingly, it was the advent of the telescopes that permitted astronomical exploration to progress from a hobby to contemporary science. An astronomer will concentrate his or her time reviewing data, publishing scientific papers, or developing computer programs to help with the data collection process. There are many fields of astronomy, and most astronomers would specialize in one. Solar science, celestial science, cosmic astrophysics, interstellar astrophysics, interplanetary astronomy, and metaphysics are only a few instances of these disciplines. Following that, each field divides into experimental and theoretical research. The analytical branch is concerned with collecting and interpreting data and employs fundamental physics concepts.

Eligibility Criteria

• Must possess at least 50% aggregate from a recognized institution in 12th, from any board PUC/CBSE/ICSE/ISC, etc. However, the cut-off margin varies with the selection process of different colleges.
• Should procure a valid score in entrance exams such as JEE-MAINS/CET/VITEEE/JEE-Advanced, etc. Different colleges offer their own entrance exams if you don’t have a satisfactory score in JEE or other competitive exams – colleges like NMIMS, Symbiosis International University, XUB, Andhra University, LPU, etc. Every state offers their own entrance exam as well.
• One must earn a degree in B.Sc/B.Tech or a Diploma to become an Astronomer. This is a basic qualification you must require to enroll in this line of work.
• An M.Sc/M.Tech in Wind Energy Engineering can also prove to be helpful while looking for a higher degree and better learning.

Tasks to perform

• Develop hypotheses based on own discoveries or other astronomers' measurements and conclusions.
• Use a range of ground-based and space-bound telescopes and analysis procedures to study astronomical phenomena.
• Address scientific studies at science conventions and in academic journal articles.
• Evaluate the proportions, forms, illumination, and movements of various heavenly objects by calculating orbits.
• Interstellar source materials' microwave, ultraviolet, light, and x-ray emissions are measured.

Knowledge required

• Apprehension of Physics – Predictive analytics of basic phenomena, laws, their interactions, and fluid, substance, and air mechanics interpretation techniques, and mechanical, electric, atomic, and subatomic structures and processes understanding.
• Arithmetic Prowess — Being able to evaluate and interpret various mathematical equations and use them to address complex problems in arithmetic, geometry, calculus, and other areas.
• Computer Application — Understanding the prospects and functioning of circuit boards, processing units, circuits, electrical devices, computer equipment, plus applications and programming.
• Chemical Dexterity — Able to understand the chemical structure and composition of substances available in the environment. Includes the understanding of changes, interactions between different substances, methods of production, and safe disposal of toxic substances.
• Design and Establishment — Recognition of the materials, techniques, and instruments used in building or restoring homes, factories, as well as other structures, such as roads, highways, bridges, etc.

Skills required

• Rational interpretation –Use of rationality and inference to distinguish the positives and disadvantages of creative improvements, assumptions, or responses to situations.
• Influence — Inspiring and persuading people to change their behavior and support a certain product, brand, or organization to increase sales.
• Surveillance — Entails keeping track of and evaluating your own, other people's, or organizations' results to make changes or take disciplinary measures.
• Strategic Thinking — Evaluating the possible expenses and advantages of various decisions to recognize the best one.
• Time Management — Interacting and switching between different tasks and activities without consuming excess time to provide results.

Job roles offered

Once you procure the required qualifications for becoming an Astronomer, a myriad of options are open to you. There are multiple projects you can undertake throughout this line of work, and there are many other fields you can branch out to as well.

• Astrophysicists: Astrophysicists often work on solving specific problems such as why a particular galaxy has the shape that it has or how the gas clouds around a new star are constructed. Astrophysicists use their telescopes to collect data and then analyze what the data means using skills in physics and mathematics as well as deductive logic and problem-solving. Astrophysicists use advanced photographic and radiation detectors to study the cosmos and address fundamental physics concerns like how celestial bodies shape. Educational universities and public sector research laboratories employ the majority of astrophysicists. Concerning their research practice, astrophysicists also have instructional and managerial duties. Astrophysicists use strong instruments at scientific expeditions to study the nature and attributes of constellations, asteroids, dark matter, and clusters.
• Life Sciences Manager: Acting alongside and leading a group of specialists on tasks, as well as communicating directly to customers and managers on project results, are all aspects of the responsibilities of a life science boss. Life science managers may have a graduate degree, however, life science management programs are hard to come by. Human resources, financial, technical, and managerial responsibilities should all be on the table for life science administrators. Managers in the life sciences field are responsible for overseeing testing, development, and construction, and also supporting and evaluating researchers. They also educate their employees about emerging technologies and create new ideas that they can use in their programs. Representatives assign managers to administer, track, and set science priorities. Organizational and life sciences courses are part of their curriculum, which can require both introductory and professional training.
• Astronaut: Astronauts are qualified to fly and/or move in spacecraft, operate in orbit, and participate in international human spaceflight activities. Although space travel can seem to be normal now, each journey into space may be a race against time. As a result, the majority of an astronaut's profession is spent in intensive training. Each astronaut has a special role to play, which is determined by their experience and the current tests onboarding the spacecraft. The majority of the studies are focused on researching how microgravity and radiation impact stuff like the human body, crystal formation, and virus's evolution in space.
• Climatologist: A climatologist's work is both interesting and dynamic. A climatologist can be recommended to carry a variety of hats depending on the company. A climatologist may conduct field experiments, also including collecting water or soil particles, before analyzing and reporting on the results. They may give presentations at lectures or conventions on certain findings, or they may analyze other research for clients, government leaders, or other potential investors. Climatologists may also be independent thinkers, using experiments to fix local temperature challenges or figure out how to function better in diverse climates. They will, for instance, collaborate with or as weathermen, increasing efficiencies by designing modern measuring instruments and computational methods, conducting experiments, and translating observations into concepts that are more readily interpreted by the general populace.
• Astrobiologist: An astrobiologist is a scientist who investigates the existence of life on other planets. Astrobiologists attempt to figure out how life started and how it will flourish in a variety of ecosystems. This always entails the investigation of intense life down here on Earth. They investigate various planetary bodies to see whether life could perhaps exist there. Some astrobiologists work on programs that look for radio transmissions from life elsewhere in the Universe, whilst others look for locations where the most basic types of life could occur. An astrobiologist is a scientist who specializes in both biology and astronomy. Astrobiology is a multidisciplinary discipline that necessitates a thorough knowledge of the physiological, geological, and celestial phenomenon. You should learn any related curriculum to begin preparing yourself for a career in astrobiology. The majority of astrophysicists have studied physics, electronics, computer science, and arithmetic. Any astrobiologist, on the other hand, has degrees in behavioral and humanitarian disciplines such as historical memory and cognitive science.

Career opportunities

Astronomers can opt for various fields of work in the companies listed below:

• Broward College
• Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore
• Ashoka University
• Universitat Frankfurt
• Indian Space Research Organization
• Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
• Defense Research and Development Organization
• Space Applications Centre
• Satish Dhawan Space Centre
• Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre

Colleges offering courses

• Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore
• Indian Institute of Science Education and Research
• Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram
• National Centre for Radio Astronomy, Pune
• Raman Research Institute, Bangalore
• Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai
• University of Delhi, New Delhi
• Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
• Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
• Andhra University, Visakhapatnam