Astronomy-The Oldest Practiced Science

Astronomy is a vast topic, encompassing a myriad of fields of science, and utilizing a dozen scientific instruments to seek the true nature of the universe. To the general public, astronomers are depicted as serious individuals camping next to telescopes for hours on end, observing the universe in motion. Although this is partly true, astronomers barely ever have hands-on experience with telescopes. Rather, with the development of telescopes that can be controlled remotely, the visual data can be collected via powerful computers even in wavelengths the human eye is blind to! In this write-up, we will delve deeper into the field of astronomy, and also explore some career opportunities.

Astronomy is a field of natural sciences dealing with the study of the heavenly bodies using sophisticated tools of Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Computer Science to answer questions that have troubled humans for eons. The field of astronomy is further subdivided into 4 other main branches: Astrophysics, Astrometry, Astrogeology and Astrobiology. You can find a brief overview of these fields later in this article. Of course, there are multiple other subfields like astrochemistry that have been emerging in career opportunities recently.

Due to there being a significantly large number of branches, sub-branches, etc., one may find plenty of career opportunities. Usually, a PhD is a must for individuals aspiring to be future astrophysicists and astronomers. There are multiple routes one can take to become an astronomer. The following are some career paths written as per the Indian Education System. Note that the student should’ve had Science till grade 12 (plus 2).

• A student can then continue to pursue a B.Sc in Physics/ Applied Physics (~4 Years), followed with M.Sc in Physics (~2 Years) {~5 Years for institutes that offer a dual degree course}. Further, the student may need to proceed with a PhD in Physics.
• A student can complete a B.Tech in Computer Science, followed by M.Tech/M.Sc in Physics/ Astrophysics.
• Similar to the 1st method, if an institute offers M.Sc in Astronomy/Astrophysics, then after its completion the student can proceed to join any Astronomy programs or pursue a PhD.



Some Subfields :-

• -Astrophysics:
The applied understanding of physics to the universe. Spectroscopy, Cosmology, and Helioseismology are some of the sub-branches of Astrophysics. For example, the red/blue shifting of galaxies, orbital prediction, and the workings of stellar cores come under the study of Astrophysics. It is by far the most popular branch of astronomy worldwide. -
• Astrometry:
The field of astronomy that deals with the precise positioning of planets and stars. Astrometry seeks to find the answer to how a star’s proto-planets come to be and to study planetary dynamics for a better understanding of their composition. -
• Astrogeology:
The study of exogeology or astrogeology is our way of learning the composition of an exoplanet. The procurement of data through seismographs (exo-seismology) and the tools of selenography may reveal the physical features and the topologies of various asteroids, moons and planets. A popular example of this would be the rovers on Mars, studying Martian rocks to uncover the composition or areology of the red planet. -
• Astrobiology:
Astrobiology pertains to the innate human desire of wanting to know whether we truly are alone in the Universe or not. Although ambitious, the field of astrobiology is in no way a fantasy. There is plentiful evidence of life-forming chemical compounds in even as close as the moons of Jupiter, i.e., Io and Enceladus. Till a few decades ago, we were trapped in our ideology of a ‘Roche limit’ for planets to be capable of harbouring life, but this notion slowly dissolved with the advancements in Astrobiology. We now know of creatures called ‘Extremophiles’ here on Earth that have adapted to live in the most hazardous environments such as near underwater hydrothermal vents that spew out hot gases of intoxicating sulphur at hundreds of degrees! Astrochemistry, which comes under astrobiology has made it possible to understand how conditions on our Earth were in the distant past, and what the future has in store for the planet due to human-induced climate change, by studying sister-planets such as Venus and possibly even Mars to arrive at a solid conclusion. Astrobiology is surely a field with an enormous scope in the relatively near future!

As astronomy is such a vast field of science, housing plenty more branches that further subdivide to innumerable numbers of sub-branches, the methods of astronomical research too are plentiful. If we discuss the research that astronomers and physicists conduct, they would be along the lines of utilizing data from optical telescopes and analyzing the data to arrive at meaningful conclusions. Nowadays, due to the advancement of telescope technology, they pretty much do all of the visual work for us. For observing phenomena that is too far-fetched for even modern-day telescopes requires modelling. Some astronomers and physicists require to create models/simulations of existing observations and analyze them over timescales incomprehensibly large for the human mind. Through the power of data from telescopes, simulations, and quite a bit of programming, we have come closer than ever before to learn about galaxy formations, star formations, galactic and stellar collisions, black hole collisions, the birth of the cosmos and even its fateful demise. It surely is an amazing feat for the astronomical-equivalent of dust particles, i.e., us humans, to learn so much about our universe! But all of this is not easy work, a research astronomer has to be well equipped with the knowledge of computation and programming besides just the theoretical knowledge.

Apart from all this, physicists and astronomers generally have to write proposals and apply for research funding, do a significant amount of mathematical calculations to analyze data, design new scientific models and equipment such as telescopes and lasers, write sophisticated research papers for publication, and present their research in scientific conferences and lectures. Along with the added efforts of taking care of one’s own family, research scientists get pretty busy!

Astronomy is a vast subject fitting for the immense scale of the Universe. It is the oldest form of Science practised by our distant ancestors. From questions such as whether the Earth was spherical and the Sun was indeed the centre of the Solar System to questions on 10-40 seconds after the big bang and Black Hole singularities, the field of astronomy has evolved at a tremendous rate! We can’t wait to uncover more of what’s hidden in those seemingly endless dark voids. We are beginning to realize more so than ever before that the sky was never our limit. Humanity’s next cosmic breakthrough is approaching, from the Artemis mission landing us back on the Moon to possible human settlements on Mars, and the person involved in these major future breakthroughs could very well be you.