Astronomer

Astronomers study celestial objects and the universe as a whole — stars, planets, galaxies, and the physics that governs them. The work centres on designing observing programmes, applying for telescope time, processing large datasets, and developing theory to interpret what the data reveal, with relatively little time spent at a telescope directly.

They work in universities, observatories, and research institutes, often within international collaborations. The role suits patient, mathematically capable people who enjoy long projects and extracting faint signals from vast, noisy data.