Question
While the overview above is a general outlook on how the career of an astronomer may look, certain astronomers do choose to focus their efforts in several more specific career paths that contribute to the field of astronomy outside of academia.
Some astronomers become data scientists—a career path that is not unique to astronomy but which follows the steps of the scientific method to look for new discoveries in sets of data. They make hypotheses about what they might find in data, look for evidence that refutes or confirms that hypotheses, and so on. Data scientists do this by creating different kinds of visualizations of the data like charts, graphs, and reports that help them spot patterns in the data. They also employ algorithms, or a set of rules that govern mathematical formulas and calculations, to sort through data and find significant patterns as well. They rely on the strength of the algorithms to ultimately corroborate their hypotheses.
One thing to consider when planning for a career is how competitive the landscape is for that profession.
A space observatory is perched upon a hill while to its right, small scaffolding and a building is beginning to take shape against the sky, backlit by the setting sun in colors of orange and red.
Taken in 2017, you can see on the hill to the right of the Gemini South telescope the construction beginning on the LSST. Photo by Astronomy Additions, distributed under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
You may be familiar with the term big data—meaning huge data sets that are analyzed to reveal patterns. Many companies utilize the big data that is collected when consumers interact with various internet entities—social media, search engines, etc.—to identify which types of customers are most likely to purchase their products. In astronomy, big data is making waves too. The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) in Chile is set to begin operation in 2023 and will house one of the world’s largest cameras. Its goal is to be able to capture the entire southern sky in one shot and continue doing so over 10 years, to give astronomers a “time lapse” glimpse of the southern hemisphere over that period. As you can imagine, this telescope will be able to capture enormous amounts of data; it is expected to collect roughly 60 petabytes (PB) of data. To put this in perspective, most of us are familiar with the terabyte (TB), a measurement of data that many external hard drives use. One terabyte is quite a bit of storage—most newer personal computers come with at least 1 TB of storage, and the Hubble Space telescope captures about 10 TB of data each year. In contrast, 1 PB is equivalent to 1,024 TB, or the amount of data you’d collect if you filmed in HD round the clock for almost three and a half years!
Space Lawyers
Did you know that there are actually lawyers who specialize in matters governing outer space? This may not be a surprise to you as mankind continues to make bolder ventures to destinations further from our planet. In order for these lawyers to practice, everyone needs to agree on where “airspace” ends and “outer space” begins. As codified in international law, all nations have jurisdiction and sovereignty over their airspace, or the part of the sky that is vertically above their terrestrial territory. In the past, there has been some confusion how to distinguish between these two planes of space, and scholars and space lawyers are still attempting to arrive at a consensus about just where one area of space ends and the other begins. Most agree that the barrier lies somewhere between where the highest airplanes fly and the lowest satellites orbit, but the exact location of a “line” has yet to be established. However, that being the case, space lawyers are only concerned with matters involving outer space—however that comes to be defined.
A world map is color coded according to those that have signed and implemented the Outer Space Treaty, North America, Australia, Asia and most of South America are green, while most nations in Africa and Iran are in yellow or gray.
The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 is still going strong today but requires lawyers to maintain and uphold the treaty. This map by the United Nations, updated in 2013, shows those nations that have accepted the Outer Space Treaty (Green), those that have only signed the treaty but not implemented yet (yellow), and those that have not participated in the treaty (gray). Photo by United Nations, Public Domain.
In 1967 the United States, United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union signed into international law the Outer Space Treaty—an agreement consisting of 17 articles that establish international protocol governing the use and exploration of space by various nations.
So does this treaty tell us who owns the Moon? Well, Article 2 states that “outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means.” This means that no one country can claim ownership of the Moon or any other object in space (except for spacecraft that nation launched into space). The other articles of the treaty establish agreements that prohibit the launch of weapons into space, maintain that the exploration of space is open to all nations and is to be conducted peacefully, and that all states have an obligation to keep space free of harmful contamination.
The scales of justice is depicted using lines, points, and shading in tones of orange, yellow. and red, like a constellation against a black background.
If both law and space interest you, then a career as a space lawyer might be for you!
Other issues that space lawyers commonly weigh in on involve the environmental effects of space travel, or crimes that space travelers may commit while in space. If crimes are committed onboard spacecraft, it is the obligation of the nation that owns the spacecraft to prosecute the criminal; however, if crimes are committed on Mars, for instance, who takes the lead? In most cases, astronauts are beholden to the laws of their respective countries when in space—except when they are onboard international spacecraft like the International Space Station. Here, the International Space Station Agreement states that astronauts are still bound to obey the laws of their own countries, but in situations where one person commits a crime against another person from a different country, the victim’s country is allowed to prosecute. We don’t generally think of astronauts committing crimes, but it’s important to have legal framework in place even in space!
If you’re interested in law, intellectual property, or are forward-thinking about solving societal problems that space exploration raises, this may be the career for you.
Software Engineers
Like data scientists, software engineers use tech skills to contribute to the field of astronomy. However, instead of primarily being tasked with analyzing data through algorithms, software engineers actually design and develop the computer programs that space organizations use to analyze and organize data. In this way, they help data scientists do their jobs! This could include building databases to house information or improving the user interface (UI) of a software program—or the way it visually displays—so that it is more visually appealing and easier to use.
Two female software engineers look at a computer screen while several other people work busily in the background amidst display panels and computers.
Use your programming skills to assist with data management and algorithms that will be used to make sense of data received from satellites and telescopes as well as daily operations.
Software engineers are employed by both governmental and private space entities. The programs they create help the ground team communicate with astronauts onboard spacecraft, monitor the operations of the spacecraft, and analyze the data they collect. NASA even instituted a Software Engineering Initiative Implementation Plan whose goal is to improve the quality of software NASA uses throughout its operations.
The Private Sector
The need for software engineers in space exploration has increased greatly due the increased number of private companies getting involved in space exploration. Software engineers working for these companies take on a variety of projects such as software development for launching, landing, and space craft operation. Engineers are even working on software that will be used to land missions to Mars!
It goes without saying that all of the career fields involved with the direct planning and support of space missions carry the potential for intense rewards but also potentially significant costs. This remains true for both private companies and governmental agencies. Even the smallest errors can be life-threatening, which is why many of the careers we’ve discussed require the ability to handle stress situations and bounce back with resiliency under pressure.
Journalism and Publishing
Those interested in writing stories about space tourism and space missions can find their way to space journalism through a general interest in space and science or other experience in journalism. They may produce written columns, radio spots, or even full-length documentaries.
A space shuttle launches into the sky, shooting out great plumes of exhaust, as it rises.
Shuttle launches are a popular public interest story for journalists.
If you are more interested in publishing work than creating it yourself, you might look for employment in space publishing where books, magazines and other written works fall into specific niches, or narrow fields of interest. It makes sense, then, that space publishing is its own career path! If you think about it, having a publishing company that employs experts in space exploration and science makes sense for authors who want to publish their work about astronomy. These publishers will not only know the subject matter but also the audience—what topics are hot and will resonate with space fanatics and what won’t. If this sounds interesting, you may want to consider studying both journalism or English and astronomy or physics in college.
If you’re interested in observing and reporting on developments in aerospace, rather than contributing to missions themselves, this may be a good way to scratch your “space itch” while also lowering the potential stress you’ll face on the job.
8 of 508 of 50 Items
Question
Which career path is unique to astronomy?
(1 point)
Responses
space lawyer
space lawyer
data scientist
data scientist
software engineer
software engineer
publisher
publisher
Skip to navigation
page 1 of 1
Some astronomers become data scientists—a career path that is not unique to astronomy but which follows the steps of the scientific method to look for new discoveries in sets of data. They make hypotheses about what they might find in data, look for evidence that refutes or confirms that hypotheses, and so on. Data scientists do this by creating different kinds of visualizations of the data like charts, graphs, and reports that help them spot patterns in the data. They also employ algorithms, or a set of rules that govern mathematical formulas and calculations, to sort through data and find significant patterns as well. They rely on the strength of the algorithms to ultimately corroborate their hypotheses.
One thing to consider when planning for a career is how competitive the landscape is for that profession.
A space observatory is perched upon a hill while to its right, small scaffolding and a building is beginning to take shape against the sky, backlit by the setting sun in colors of orange and red.
Taken in 2017, you can see on the hill to the right of the Gemini South telescope the construction beginning on the LSST. Photo by Astronomy Additions, distributed under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
You may be familiar with the term big data—meaning huge data sets that are analyzed to reveal patterns. Many companies utilize the big data that is collected when consumers interact with various internet entities—social media, search engines, etc.—to identify which types of customers are most likely to purchase their products. In astronomy, big data is making waves too. The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) in Chile is set to begin operation in 2023 and will house one of the world’s largest cameras. Its goal is to be able to capture the entire southern sky in one shot and continue doing so over 10 years, to give astronomers a “time lapse” glimpse of the southern hemisphere over that period. As you can imagine, this telescope will be able to capture enormous amounts of data; it is expected to collect roughly 60 petabytes (PB) of data. To put this in perspective, most of us are familiar with the terabyte (TB), a measurement of data that many external hard drives use. One terabyte is quite a bit of storage—most newer personal computers come with at least 1 TB of storage, and the Hubble Space telescope captures about 10 TB of data each year. In contrast, 1 PB is equivalent to 1,024 TB, or the amount of data you’d collect if you filmed in HD round the clock for almost three and a half years!
Space Lawyers
Did you know that there are actually lawyers who specialize in matters governing outer space? This may not be a surprise to you as mankind continues to make bolder ventures to destinations further from our planet. In order for these lawyers to practice, everyone needs to agree on where “airspace” ends and “outer space” begins. As codified in international law, all nations have jurisdiction and sovereignty over their airspace, or the part of the sky that is vertically above their terrestrial territory. In the past, there has been some confusion how to distinguish between these two planes of space, and scholars and space lawyers are still attempting to arrive at a consensus about just where one area of space ends and the other begins. Most agree that the barrier lies somewhere between where the highest airplanes fly and the lowest satellites orbit, but the exact location of a “line” has yet to be established. However, that being the case, space lawyers are only concerned with matters involving outer space—however that comes to be defined.
A world map is color coded according to those that have signed and implemented the Outer Space Treaty, North America, Australia, Asia and most of South America are green, while most nations in Africa and Iran are in yellow or gray.
The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 is still going strong today but requires lawyers to maintain and uphold the treaty. This map by the United Nations, updated in 2013, shows those nations that have accepted the Outer Space Treaty (Green), those that have only signed the treaty but not implemented yet (yellow), and those that have not participated in the treaty (gray). Photo by United Nations, Public Domain.
In 1967 the United States, United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union signed into international law the Outer Space Treaty—an agreement consisting of 17 articles that establish international protocol governing the use and exploration of space by various nations.
So does this treaty tell us who owns the Moon? Well, Article 2 states that “outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means.” This means that no one country can claim ownership of the Moon or any other object in space (except for spacecraft that nation launched into space). The other articles of the treaty establish agreements that prohibit the launch of weapons into space, maintain that the exploration of space is open to all nations and is to be conducted peacefully, and that all states have an obligation to keep space free of harmful contamination.
The scales of justice is depicted using lines, points, and shading in tones of orange, yellow. and red, like a constellation against a black background.
If both law and space interest you, then a career as a space lawyer might be for you!
Other issues that space lawyers commonly weigh in on involve the environmental effects of space travel, or crimes that space travelers may commit while in space. If crimes are committed onboard spacecraft, it is the obligation of the nation that owns the spacecraft to prosecute the criminal; however, if crimes are committed on Mars, for instance, who takes the lead? In most cases, astronauts are beholden to the laws of their respective countries when in space—except when they are onboard international spacecraft like the International Space Station. Here, the International Space Station Agreement states that astronauts are still bound to obey the laws of their own countries, but in situations where one person commits a crime against another person from a different country, the victim’s country is allowed to prosecute. We don’t generally think of astronauts committing crimes, but it’s important to have legal framework in place even in space!
If you’re interested in law, intellectual property, or are forward-thinking about solving societal problems that space exploration raises, this may be the career for you.
Software Engineers
Like data scientists, software engineers use tech skills to contribute to the field of astronomy. However, instead of primarily being tasked with analyzing data through algorithms, software engineers actually design and develop the computer programs that space organizations use to analyze and organize data. In this way, they help data scientists do their jobs! This could include building databases to house information or improving the user interface (UI) of a software program—or the way it visually displays—so that it is more visually appealing and easier to use.
Two female software engineers look at a computer screen while several other people work busily in the background amidst display panels and computers.
Use your programming skills to assist with data management and algorithms that will be used to make sense of data received from satellites and telescopes as well as daily operations.
Software engineers are employed by both governmental and private space entities. The programs they create help the ground team communicate with astronauts onboard spacecraft, monitor the operations of the spacecraft, and analyze the data they collect. NASA even instituted a Software Engineering Initiative Implementation Plan whose goal is to improve the quality of software NASA uses throughout its operations.
The Private Sector
The need for software engineers in space exploration has increased greatly due the increased number of private companies getting involved in space exploration. Software engineers working for these companies take on a variety of projects such as software development for launching, landing, and space craft operation. Engineers are even working on software that will be used to land missions to Mars!
It goes without saying that all of the career fields involved with the direct planning and support of space missions carry the potential for intense rewards but also potentially significant costs. This remains true for both private companies and governmental agencies. Even the smallest errors can be life-threatening, which is why many of the careers we’ve discussed require the ability to handle stress situations and bounce back with resiliency under pressure.
Journalism and Publishing
Those interested in writing stories about space tourism and space missions can find their way to space journalism through a general interest in space and science or other experience in journalism. They may produce written columns, radio spots, or even full-length documentaries.
A space shuttle launches into the sky, shooting out great plumes of exhaust, as it rises.
Shuttle launches are a popular public interest story for journalists.
If you are more interested in publishing work than creating it yourself, you might look for employment in space publishing where books, magazines and other written works fall into specific niches, or narrow fields of interest. It makes sense, then, that space publishing is its own career path! If you think about it, having a publishing company that employs experts in space exploration and science makes sense for authors who want to publish their work about astronomy. These publishers will not only know the subject matter but also the audience—what topics are hot and will resonate with space fanatics and what won’t. If this sounds interesting, you may want to consider studying both journalism or English and astronomy or physics in college.
If you’re interested in observing and reporting on developments in aerospace, rather than contributing to missions themselves, this may be a good way to scratch your “space itch” while also lowering the potential stress you’ll face on the job.
8 of 508 of 50 Items
Question
Which career path is unique to astronomy?
(1 point)
Responses
space lawyer
space lawyer
data scientist
data scientist
software engineer
software engineer
publisher
publisher
Skip to navigation
page 1 of 1
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The career path that is unique to astronomy from the options provided is **space lawyer**. While data scientists, software engineers, and publishers can work in various fields outside of astronomy, space lawyers specifically focus on legal issues related to outer space, making their career path distinct within the context of astronomy.