Careers in Astronomy

A Future in AstronomySo 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 resultsWrite proposals to get more telescope observationsWrite grants to request funding to support research and pay students

Advise and supervise colleagues and my students

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Things to think about this yearThings to think about this year

A career in astronomy requires at least a masters, but A career in astronomy requires at least a masters, but really a PhD to have the best chancereally a PhD to have the best chance– Plan on graduate school nowPlan on graduate school now– Start thinking about when you will take the general and physics Start thinking about when you will take the general and physics

GRE GRE – Take both exams even if not planning on graduate schoolTake both exams even if not planning on graduate school

Learn about summer internships you can apply for and Learn about summer internships you can apply for and start applyingstart applying– Usually due around Jan-FebUsually due around Jan-Feb– Talk to Taran Esplin or Derek Felli about their internshipsTalk to Taran Esplin or Derek Felli about their internships

Get started with a research group nowGet started with a research group now– Opens the possibility of applying for money this summer to do Opens the possibility of applying for money this summer to do

researchresearch– Start working on your senior thesisStart working on your senior thesis

Astronomy research at BYU

Dr. Eric Hintz – Variable star research, Delta-Scuti stars, X-ray 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

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Astronomy major or minorAstronomy major or minor

Join astronomy research e-mail listJoin astronomy research e-mail list– http://lists.physics.byu.edu/mailman/listinfo/astronomy

Attend astronomy research group meeting Attend astronomy research group meeting – Thursday at 11 am in N-485 (astronomy library)Thursday at 11 am in N-485 (astronomy library)– Start getting ideas for what you want to do for your Start getting ideas for what you want to do for your

senior thesissenior thesis– Start talking to Professors about their workStart talking to Professors about their work– Get involved with research nowGet involved with research now

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)

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When do you take these classesWhen do you take these classesTake 127 as soon as you can to get a good background in Astronomy and decide if this is a major you really want 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 pursueto pursue

Take 227 and 228 the Fall and Winter semester Take 227 and 228 the Fall and Winter semester as soon as you have finishedas soon as you have finished Physics 121 and Math 112 Physics 121 and Math 112

Consider taking 329 in the winter concurrent with 228 Consider taking 329 in the winter concurrent with 228 – Telescope/research class – prepare you to join a research groupTelescope/research class – prepare you to join a research group

Interested in planetarium or using telescopes?Interested in planetarium or using telescopes?– Take 313R any winter semesterTake 313R any winter semester– Future requirement for Astronomy TAsFuture requirement for Astronomy TAs

Take 427 & 428 Fall and Winter your junior or senior yearTake 427 & 428 Fall and Winter your junior or senior year– Also consider taking Physics 529 Fall of senior yearAlso consider taking Physics 529 Fall of senior year

Interested in planetary geology?Interested in planetary geology?– Take geology 109 in the Winter (Radebaugh and Christiansen)Take geology 109 in the Winter (Radebaugh and Christiansen)– Consider doing senior thesis with Dr. RadebaughConsider doing senior thesis with Dr. Radebaugh

Special interest like astrobiology or interstellar chemistry?Special interest like astrobiology or interstellar chemistry?– Start talking to advisors now to determine what chem or bio classes you may want to takeStart talking to advisors now to determine what chem or bio classes you may want to take– or vice versa what physics class for non-majorsor vice versa what physics class for non-majors

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)

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Astronomy ClubAstronomy Club

Don’t need to be an Don’t need to be an Astronomy major, just have a Astronomy major, just have a love for astronomy and enjoy love for astronomy and enjoy it as a hobbyit as a hobby

Benefits of Joining the clubBenefits of Joining the club– Monthly public star partiesMonthly public star parties– Fun activitiesFun activities– Training to use planetarium Training to use planetarium

and deck telescopes – and deck telescopes – astronomy TAastronomy TA

– Leadership looks good on grad Leadership looks good on grad school application or CVschool application or CV

http://lists.physics.byu.edu/http://lists.physics.byu.edu/mailman/listinfo/astroclubmailman/listinfo/astroclub