Astronomer

Examples of topics or fields astronomers study include planetary science, solar astronomy, the origin or evolution of stars, or the formation of galaxies.

Professional astronomers are highly educated individuals who typically have a PhD in physics or astronomy and are employed by research institutions or universities.

[1] They spend the majority of their time working on research, although they quite often have other duties such as teaching, building instruments, or aiding in the operation of an observatory.

This number includes scientists from other fields such as physics, geology, and engineering, whose research interests are closely related to astronomy.

[5] PhD training typically involves 5-6 years of study, including completion of upper-level courses in the core sciences, a competency examination, experience with teaching undergraduates and participating in outreach programs, work on research projects under the student's supervising professor, completion of a PhD thesis, and passing a final oral exam.

[6] As with any hobby, most people who practice amateur astronomy may devote a few hours a month to stargazing and reading the latest developments in research.