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Astronomer / Space Researcher
Role & responsibilities
Plans observations or simulations, processes large datasets, models results, publishes papers, and shares insights with the scientific community.
Key strengths
- Research skills26% (Job)
- Analytical thinking22% (Job)
- Technical skills18% (Job)
- Attention to detail14% (Job)
- Problem solving12% (Job)
- Communication8% (Job)
What this means for you
- Research skills – Plans rigorous experiments and validates instrument data.
- Communication – Shares findings with interdisciplinary and public audiences.
- Analytical thinking – Interprets signals and models to answer scientific questions.
Typical tasks
- Process data from telescopes or instruments and interpret results
- Design and run observations or simulations to study celestial phenomena
- Publish findings, present research, and contribute to proposals
Daily work
- Designs observation plans or runs simulations
- Collaborates on papers, proposals, and conference presentations
- Analyzes data streams from telescopes or instruments
Education & entry routes
Helpful but not mandatory
- Science communication training
- High-performance computing courses
Alternative pathways
- Science Educator / Outreach Specialist
- Data Scientist (Astrophysics)
- Satellite Operations Analyst
Work environment
- Team size
- Small research groups collaborating across institutions
- Typical employers
- Universities, observatories, space agencies, research labs
- People contact
- Regular collaboration with scientists, engineers, and students
- Stress level
- Moderate with deadlines for grants and observing windows
- Working hours
- Research-driven schedule with occasional night observations
Entry & progression
Common entry roles
- Observatory Technician
- Research Assistant
Next career steps
- Research Group Lead
- Senior Astronomer