Day in the life
A Day in the Life of an Astronomer
What astronomers actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
What is a typical day like for an astronomer?
Process telescope data. From there, the day usually includes plan observations, analyze data, and build models. Full time, with night observing at times.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for an astronomer working full time.
- Process telescope data.
- Meet collaborators by video.
- Write analysis code.
- Teach an astronomy class.
- Write a telescope proposal.
- Read new papers.
- Remote observing session.
Where astronomers work
Astronomers work at universities, observatories and space agencies.
Hours and schedule
Full time, with night observing at times.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Plan observations
- Analyze data
- Build models
- Write code
- Publish papers
- Write proposals
- Teach and mentor
Tools you’ll use every day
- Python
- Telescopes
- Astropy
- High-performance computing
- Spectrographs
- LaTeX
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- Fascinating science
- High pay
- Global collaboration
- Cutting-edge tech
What’s hard
- Very small field
- Long training
- Competitive jobs
- Grant pressure
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I love space
- I like physics and math
- I can code
- I’m persistent
- I’m willing to do a long path
- I like collaboration
Not sure? Take the free Astronomer fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Follow observatory safety
- Protect eyes when observing the Sun
- Follow data policies
- Take care at high altitude