Getting Started With: Astronomy
Tags: Astronomy, Getting Started, Series, Interview, Elearning

Getting Started With: Astronomy

Today we reach out to Ashutosh Sharma, to delve deeper into what is a small attempt to understand our universe — astronomy. Edunaut Dec 15, 2020·5 min read

This is the first in a series of blog posts where we aim to collaborate with esteemed experts across various fields who have built themselves up from the crowd. Through the use of online measures, virtual courses and more, we seek to explore how you can master the subject of your choice, from the comfort of your home. Today we reach out to Ashutosh Sharma, to delve deeper into one of the most fascinating subjects, which is all but a small attempt to understand our universe — astronomy.

Ashutosh’s fascination with Astronomy started back when he was in school. Given how he didn’t get a lot of formal opportunities to study astronomy, he had to take it upon himself to find courses, books, blogs, and other resources to gain expertise. In college, he was the secretary of the Equinox Astronomy Club, and hence was in charge of teaching many other juniors about astronomy too! This makes him the perfect person to learn from — as he is able to provide a succinct review of how to master astronomy and to channel your passion and interests into something fruitful.

How did you initially get interested in Astronomy? What made you realise you liked Astronomy?

Back in school, when I was in middle school, we had a few chapters which piqued my interest. But as I grew up, I realised school books never gave me enough insight into the topics I liked. So I started looking up some topics on the internet, casually. I bought a few books, watched videos online. The more I learned, the more curious I got. As I am a resident of Pune, I had the opportunity to visit IUCAA (Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics: https://www.iucaa.in)situated in Pune, back when I was in school itself. They have some student outreach programs, which I was lucky enough to attend a workshop in when I was in 10th. The major goal at this stage should be to apply everything else you learn in the context of Astronomy.

What would you suggest for kids in school who won’t have an opportunity to visit IUCAA? What virtual resources would you suggest to get kids interested? What are some resources you would recommend?

The most important piece of advice I can give to any student is to question everything. Google is your best friend. I would urge kids to look up to the sky, ask about constellations, look for them! Look at some basic YouTube videos explaining some integral concepts here.

Some books that may help:

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson : Introduces basic concepts of astronomy and astrophysics

by Neil deGrasse Tyson : Introduces basic concepts of astronomy and astrophysics A Briefer History of Time by Hawking and Mlodinow

Stellarium is a free open source planetarium for your computer/mobile. It shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope. Visit Stellarium.org

Ask an Astronomer:

Virtual talks and more: https://astrophysics.uchicago.edu/events/

AstroBites: https://astrobites.org/

How would you suggest someone learn about Astronomy or Astrophysics in depth? It could be either a hobby, or in preparation for future studies, how can someone learn basic to advanced astronomy by themselves?

Get a good grasp on the basics. In today’s time there are plenty of opportunities to learn from home. There are some basic topics that you need to master in order to have a good understanding of the subject, and there are many resources available.

A few fields you need to have a good basic understanding of:

(1) Quantum Mechanics

(2) Advanced Classical Mechanics

(3) Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics:

(4) Advanced Calculus:

(5) Optics

(6) Special Theory of Relativity

(7) Electromagnetism

Electrodynamics: An Introduction on Coursera

Advanced Electromagnetism on MIT OCW

(8) Astronomy Overview

(9) Advanced

After you finish an online course, it is suggested that you look at a related course on MIT OCW and try to complete the assignments.

As a person with a keen interest in the field, what course of action would you recommend to someone interested in making a career out of their passion for Astronomy?

Find out about internship programs. You can find them online or ask any science major friend in institutes like IISc Bangalore or the IISERs. They usually have a lot of information on such research internship programs. Maintain a list of them, complete with the qualifications required to apply.

To contact people directly through mail, first you need to find them. The most straightforward and effective way, in my opinion, is through research papers. Maintain a well organized database of the papers (a simple spreadsheet should suffice) and the corresponding universities/institutes/labs that you find interesting. A good example can be found here. You should also contact seniors in your research area and find out where they went for internships. It’s more likely that you will secure a position in those places . Again make a note of every group/university you find.

Astronomy is not only the most fascinating field of study but also provides excellent career opportunities. With private players taking an interest in space exploration, it looks likely be one of the most sought career options in the future. Though the formal opportunities to learn about the field are not readily available, there are various sources and ways to learn about the subject. Furthermore, as a facilitator, we would continue to provide all the resources available related to this field.