Astronomers study the origin and structure of the universe, including its planets, stars, galaxies and black holes.
£15,609 - £60,000
37 to 39 a week (between 8am and 6pm)
You'll need:
You can get into this job through a university course.
You'll need a degree and postgraduate qualification to work as an astronomer. You'll usually need to have achieved a first or a 2:1 in your degree.
Relevant subjects include:
You can also do an extended 4-year degree to get a postgraduate qualification like a master of physics. These courses include more independent research and can lead directly onto a PhD.
Many employers will expect you to have completed, or be working towards, a PhD in your specialist area of interest.
You'll usually need:
Join an amateur astronomy group to share your interest, develop connections and get observation experience.
You can find more advice on careers in astronomy from the Royal Astronomical Society and SpaceCareers.uk.
Your day to day duties will depend on your area of expertise.
In observational astronomy, you could:
In theoretical astronomy, you could:
You could work in an observatory, in a laboratory, at a university or visit sites.
Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time and you may spend nights away from home.
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