<h3>Well you have recently joined Astronomy Stack Exchange, and that's a great start!</h3>
<p>This site has about 15,000 questions with about 21,000 answers. Start poking around and reading posts that interest you. You can learn about basic topics and concepts as well as recent discoveries.</p>
<p>Most observational astronomers work online from their own institutions to get their observational data. They apply for observing time, which is often executed automatically by computer, or by on-site staff. But for some types of observations an astronomer will in fact travel to the instrument.</p>
<p>Sometimes astronomers work together to get funding and build their observatory (if it's not too large) or build an observing satellite that will be put in Earth orbit.</p>
<p>You might also start thinking about what kinds of observing catches your fancy. Radio, optical, infrared, X-ray, gamma-ray, neutrino, cosmic ray, gravitational wave, something else?</p>
<p>It's rare to be a individual observer these days, you'll mostly work in a group, meaning you don't have to be an expert in everything to contribute. Start looking at which of your skills may be applicable. Are you good at writing clearly? Or analyzing data using existing software? Or doing simulations? Or working with instrumentation? How do you think you might fit in to a research group and contribute.</p>
<p>With that in mind, spend time honing your particular skills any way you can, and take any possible community college classes that might help you do that.</p>
<p>Join an Astronomy club, start checking the websites of Astronomy departments nearby and see if there are talks you might like to attend, or events when you can &quot;rub elbows&quot; with astronomers.</p>
<p>Basically, do everything you can to improve your computer, math, physics, and peopel skills right now, and read as much as you can. Immerse yourself in the resources freely available to you that seem most interesting.</p>
<p>Grow your passion and your skills, keep your grades up, look for scholarships, look for summer internships where you might learn something but more importantly leave a good impression so that you might be brought back later or good letters of recommendation might be written about your efforts.</p>
<p><em>Good luck!</em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-18T00:39:15.390Z
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer me. These are all very helpful suggestions that I read and I have been finding a few helpful already and this gives a much clearer vision of the field than all these videos and articles that havent been so helpful. Thanks again!
Jesse McRee
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-09T02:00:09.813Z
2024-09-09T02:00:09.813Z
uhoh
<h3>Academic preparation</h3>
<p>It sounds like you're looking to transfer to State University after two years at Community College, and get an astronomy degree there. The other answer has talked about how to get involved in the astronomy community before you get there;  my answer is going to be about how you can best stay on track to accomplish this.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Go to the website of the astronomy department at State University. Sometimes this degree will be part of a &quot;department of physics &amp; astronomy&quot;, but it should exist somewhere in the university. Somewhere on the website, you can probably find a page that lists &quot;major requirements&quot; or &quot;degree requirements&quot;, which is the list of courses you'll need to complete by the time you're done at State University.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Take this list of courses to your academic advisor at the community college and say &quot;I want to aim for this four-year degree at State University. Here's the list of courses I'll need. Which of them can I take here?&quot;  Then take as many of those courses as possible.  Most likely, they will be courses in physics, mathematics, and (possibly) computer science.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>If you have trouble finding the list of degree requirements on State University's website, you can also look for someone with the title &quot;Director of Undergraduate Affairs&quot; in the astronomy (or physics &amp; astronomy) department at State University.  Send them a polite e-mail, explaining who you are and what your situation is, and ask them what courses you should take during your years at Community College, and what else they would recommend for someone in your situation.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-18T00:40:30.673Z
This answer helped me a lot and is just as helpful as the top one. I have been looking into it after this through your advice. Thanks!
Jesse McRee
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-09T19:00:32.620Z
2024-09-09T19:00:32.620Z
Michael Seifert
<p>I'm not sure if this is the right website to even ask but this is where I've landed for best case scenario. I have started at a community college due to lack of funds to go to higher education at the moment. I'm trying to get to the only university in state to get a major in astronomy and then go on from there. What should I do in the meantime for this long period, is there specific programs to help me learn or anyone to talk to in some sort of mentorship? It is a very broad question but everywhere I look leads to bunches of more question.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-09T09:39:47.220Z
Even if a university or college does not directly offer astronomy as a degree, you could look into physics. A bachelor in physics is certainly a good preparation for a master in astronomy.
pygri
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-09T10:23:55.377Z
In any case, take in account that becoming a researcher in any field nearly always involves a master and then a PhD (graduate studies) in the field you are interested in. That's hard because usually there are more candidates than available places, but continuing a career is even harder because there are even less places available. https://academia.stackexchange.com/ may be a good place to learn about it.
Pere
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-11T23:49:47.707Z
Pygri and Pere would normally be wholly correct but please remember Sir Patrick Moore (https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tTP1TcwtKwsKDZg9BIqSCwpykzOVkgsLinKz8vPTS0CAJt9Cro&q=patrick+astronomer&rlz=1C5CHFA_enGB1057GB1057&oq=patrick+astronomer&aqs=chrome.1.0i355i512j46i512j0i22i30l4j0i512i546.8866j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)

Sir Patrick famously had no formal qualifications in astronomy but for generations hosted is own TV show, making him prolly the best-known astronomer in British history.
Robbie Goodwin
<observational-astronomy>
I want to be a observational astronomer, but have no idea where to start
Jesse McRee
# I want to be a observational astronomer, but have no idea where to start

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-09-08)

I'm not sure if this is the right website to even ask but this is where I've landed for best case scenario. I have started at a community college due to lack of funds to go to higher education at the moment. I'm trying to get to the only university in state to get a major in astronomy and then go on from there. What should I do in the meantime for this long period, is there specific programs to help me learn or anyone to talk to in some sort of mentorship? It is a very broad question but everywhere I look leads to bunches of more question.

**Tags:** observational-astronomy
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Even if a university or college does not directly offer astronomy as a degree, you could look into physics. A bachelor in physics is certainly a good preparation for a master in astronomy.  
> **username_2**: In any case, take in account that becoming a researcher in any field nearly always involves a master and then a PhD (graduate studies) in the field you are interested in. That's hard because usually there are more candidates than available places, but continuing a career is even harder because there are even less places available. https://academia.stackexchange.com/ may be a good place to learn about it.  
> **username_3**: Pygri and Pere would normally be wholly correct but please remember Sir Patrick Moore (https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tTP1TcwtKwsKDZg9BIqSCwpykzOVkgsLinKz8vPTS0CAJt9Cro&q=patrick+astronomer&rlz=1C5CHFA_enGB1057GB1057&oq=patrick+astronomer&aqs=chrome.1.0i355i512j46i512j0i22i30l4j0i512i546.8866j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)  Sir Patrick famously had no formal qualifications in astronomy but for generations hosted is own TV show, making him prolly the best-known astronomer in British history.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2024-09-09. Score: 19

### Well you have recently joined Astronomy Stack Exchange, and that's a great start!

This site has about 15,000 questions with about 21,000 answers. Start poking around and reading posts that interest you. You can learn about basic topics and concepts as well as recent discoveries.

Most observational astronomers work online from their own institutions to get their observational data. They apply for observing time, which is often executed automatically by computer, or by on-site staff. But for some types of observations an astronomer will in fact travel to the instrument.

Sometimes astronomers work together to get funding and build their observatory (if it's not too large) or build an observing satellite that will be put in Earth orbit.

You might also start thinking about what kinds of observing catches your fancy. Radio, optical, infrared, X-ray, gamma-ray, neutrino, cosmic ray, gravitational wave, something else?

It's rare to be a individual observer these days, you'll mostly work in a group, meaning you don't have to be an expert in everything to contribute. Start looking at which of your skills may be applicable. Are you good at writing clearly? Or analyzing data using existing software? Or doing simulations? Or working with instrumentation? How do you think you might fit in to a research group and contribute.

With that in mind, spend time honing your particular skills any way you can, and take any possible community college classes that might help you do that.

Join an Astronomy club, start checking the websites of Astronomy departments nearby and see if there are talks you might like to attend, or events when you can "rub elbows" with astronomers.

Basically, do everything you can to improve your computer, math, physics, and peopel skills right now, and read as much as you can. Immerse yourself in the resources freely available to you that seem most interesting.

Grow your passion and your skills, keep your grades up, look for scholarships, look for summer internships where you might learn something but more importantly leave a good impression so that you might be brought back later or good letters of recommendation might be written about your efforts.

*Good luck!*

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer me. These are all very helpful suggestions that I read and I have been finding a few helpful already and this gives a much clearer vision of the field than all these videos and articles that havent been so helpful. Thanks again!  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2024-09-09. Score: 7

### Academic preparation

It sounds like you're looking to transfer to State University after two years at Community College, and get an astronomy degree there. The other answer has talked about how to get involved in the astronomy community before you get there; my answer is going to be about how you can best stay on track to accomplish this.

* Go to the website of the astronomy department at State University. Sometimes this degree will be part of a "department of physics & astronomy", but it should exist somewhere in the university. Somewhere on the website, you can probably find a page that lists "major requirements" or "degree requirements", which is the list of courses you'll need to complete by the time you're done at State University.
* Take this list of courses to your academic advisor at the community college and say "I want to aim for this four-year degree at State University. Here's the list of courses I'll need. Which of them can I take here?" Then take as many of those courses as possible. Most likely, they will be courses in physics, mathematics, and (possibly) computer science.

If you have trouble finding the list of degree requirements on State University's website, you can also look for someone with the title "Director of Undergraduate Affairs" in the astronomy (or physics & astronomy) department at State University. Send them a polite e-mail, explaining who you are and what your situation is, and ask them what courses you should take during your years at Community College, and what else they would recommend for someone in your situation.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: This answer helped me a lot and is just as helpful as the top one. I have been looking into it after this through your advice. Thanks!  

---

