"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known." These words were famously spoken by Carl Sagan, a beloved astronomer who taught Americans about the stars via a 1980s TV show called Cosmos. People have always been curious about what lies beyond the stars (especially since the telescope was invented in 1608), and astronomers like Sagan are the ones who go looking for that incredible something. Working in labs, observatories or universities, they study the paths of planets and stars using telescopes, equations, and computers, then write about the results for the public. If you're curious about this exciting career, Carl Sagan's Cosmos is still a good place to start exploring (the episodes are easily viewed online). You can also look for star-gazing parties, planetariums, or public observatories in your city or town.
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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
When people in the 1600s heard that the Earth goes around the Sun, and not the other way around, it changed the way people thought about the universe forever. Imagine what your discoveries as an astronomer could do!
To study the stars, astronomers may travel to telescopes located in some of the most beautiful areas in the world.
