Astronomer - wikipedia Astronomer The Astronomer by Johannes Vermeer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who concentrates their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They look at stars, planets, moons, comets and galaxies, as well as many other celestial objects -- either in observational astronomy, in analyzing the data or in theoretical astronomy. Examples of topics or fields astronomers work on include : planetary science, solar astronomy, the origin or evolution of stars, or the formation of galaxies. There are also related but distinct subjects like physical cosmology which studies the Universe as a whole. Astronomers usually fit into two types : observational and theoretical. Observational astronomers make direct observations of planets, stars and galaxies, and analyze the data. In contrast, theoretical astronomers create and investigate models of things that can not be observed. Because it takes millions to billions of years for a system of stars or a galaxy to complete a life cycle, astronomers have to observe snapshots of different systems at unique points in their evolution to determine how they form, evolve and die. They use this data to create models or simulations to theorize how different celestial bodies work. There are further subcategories inside these two main branches of astronomy such as planetary astronomy, galactic astronomy or physical cosmology. Contents 1 Academic 2 Amateur astronomers 3 See also 4 References 4.1 Specific 4.2 General 5 External links Academic For subdisciplines, see Outline of astronomy. Galileo is often referred to as the Father of modern astronomy Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using physical laws. Today, that distinction has mostly disappeared and the terms `` astronomer '' and `` astrophysicist '' are interchangeable. Professional astronomers are highly educated individuals who typically have a Ph. D. in physics or astronomy and are employed by research institutions or universities. They spend the majority of their time working on research, although they quite often have other duties such as teaching, building instruments, or aiding in the operation of an observatory. The number of professional astronomers in the United States is actually quite small. The American Astronomical Society, which is the major organization of professional astronomers in North America, has approximately 7,000 members. This number includes scientists from other fields such as physics, geology, and engineering, whose research interests are closely related to astronomy. The International Astronomical Union comprises almost 10,145 members from 70 different countries who are involved in astronomical research at the Ph. D. level and beyond. Guy Consolmagno Vatican Observatory, analyzing a meteorite, 2014 Contrary to the classical image of an old astronomer peering through a telescope through the dark hours of the night, it is far more common to use a charge - coupled device ( CCD ) camera to record a long, deep exposure, allowing a more sensitive image to be created because the light is added over time. Before CCDs, photographic plates were a common method of observation. Modern astronomers spend relatively little time at telescopes usually just a few weeks per year. Analysis of observed phenomena, along with making predictions as to the causes of what they observe, takes the majority of observational astronomers ' time. Astronomers who serve as faculty spend much of their time teaching undergraduate and graduate classes. Most universities also have outreach programs including public telescope time and sometimes planetariums as a public service to encourage interest in the field. Those who become astronomers usually have a broad background in maths, sciences and computing in high school. Taking courses that teach how to research, write and present papers are also invaluable. In college / university most astronomers get a Ph. D. in astronomy or physics. Keeping in mind how few astronomers there are it is understood that graduate schools in this field are very competitive, so grades are very important. Students must take a Graduate Record Exam in the United States if they wish to be accepted into a US graduate school. Amateur astronomers Emily Lakdawalla at the Planetary Conference 2013 While there is a relatively low number of professional astronomers, the field is popular among amateurs. Most cities have amateur astronomy clubs that meet on a regular basis and often host star parties. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific is the largest general astronomical society in the world, comprising both professional and amateur astronomers as well as educators from 70 different nations. Like any hobby, most people who think of themselves as amateur astronomers may devote a few hours a month to stargazing and reading the latest developments in research. However, amateurs span the range from so - called `` armchair astronomers '' to the very ambitious, who own science - grade telescopes and instruments with which they are able to make their own discoveries and assist professional astronomers in research. See also List of astronomers List of women astronomers List of Muslim astronomers List of Russian astronomers and astrophysicists References Specific Jump up ^ `` Frequently Asked Questions About Becoming an Astronomer ''. NOAO. Archived from the original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2009. Jump up ^ `` American Astronomical Society Home ''. AAS. Archived from the original on 2 August 2009. Retrieved 14 August 2009. Jump up ^ `` About IAU ''. IAU. Retrieved 14 August 2009. Jump up ^ `` About Us ''. Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Archived from the original on 25 February 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2009. General Dallal, Ahmad ( 1999 ). `` Science, Medicine and Technology ''. In Esposito, John. The Oxford History of Islam. Oxford University Press, New York. ISBN 0 - 300 - 15911 - 0. Kennedy, E.S. ( 1956 ). `` A Survey of Islamic Astronomical Tables ; Transactions of the American Philosophical Society ''. 46 ( 2 ). Philadelphia : American Philosophical Society. Toomer, Gerald ( 1990 ). `` Al - Khwārizmī, Abu Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn Mūsā ''. In Gillispie, Charles Coulston. Dictionary of Scientific Biography. 7. New York : Charles Scribner 's Sons. ISBN 0 - 684 - 16962 - 2. External links American Astronomical Society European Astronomical Society International Astronomical Union Astronomical Society of the Pacific Space 's astronomy news Astronomy portal Astronomy Outline History Astronomer Glossary Astronomy by Manner Amateur Observational Sidewalk Celestial subject Galactic / Extragalactic Local system Solar Method Radio Submillimetre Infrared ( Far - infrared ) Visible - light ( optical ) Ultraviolet X-ray Gamma - ray High - energy Neutrino Gravitational radiation Spherical Culture Australian Aboriginal Babylonian Chechen ( Nakh ) Chinese Egyptian Greek Hebrew Indian Inuit Medieval Islamic Serbian Tibetan Optical telescopes List Category Extremely large telescope Gran Telescopio Canarias Hubble Space Telescope Keck Observatory Large Binocular Telescope Southern African Large Telescope Very Large Telescope Related topics Archaeoastronomy Astrophysics Astrology and astronomy Astrometry Astroparticle physics Photometry Physical cosmology List of astronomers Muslim Russian Women Portals Astronomy Cosmology Solar System Mars Jupiter Uranus Moon Space Spaceflight Star X-ray astronomy Category Commons Portal WikiProject LCCN : sh85008992 GND : 4003310 - 7 NDL : 00572841 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Astronomer&oldid=802078460 '' Categories : Astronomy Astronomers Science occupations Hidden categories : Use dmy dates from July 2012 Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Asturianu Azərbaycanca বাংলা Bân - lâm - gú Беларуская Български Bosanski Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Esperanto فارسی Français Frysk Gaeilge Galego 한국어 हिन्दी Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Basa Jawa Kiswahili Kurdî Latina Latviešu Lëtzebuergesch Lietuvių Limburgs Magyar Македонски Bahasa Melayu မြန်မာဘာသာ Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Occitan Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча پنجابی Plattdüütsch Polski Português Qaraqalpaqsha Română Русский Scots Sicilianu සිංහල Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Soomaaliga Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog தமிழ் ไทย Türkçe Українська اردو Tiếng Việt 吴语 粵語 Zazaki 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 23 September 2017, at 21 : 22. 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Question: how many astronomers are there in the united states
Answer: approximately 7,000