summary

Astronomy is a science that seeks to explain everything that humans observe in the
Universe, from comets and planets in our own solar system to distant galaxies.
Professional astronomers are motivated by curiosity and a desire to understand some of
the grandest and most beautiful phenomena in the universe. It is a rigorous science that
requires a good science knowledge and coding skills. Astronomers must apply equal
measures of analytic thinking and imagination, logic and intuition to answer the most
fundamental questions about the cosmos, such as what are stars and planets, how did
they evolve, why does the night sky look the way it does? Does life exist among the stars?
How did the universe get here? How will it end? Students should get involved in high school
science groups, state junior academies of science and local amateur astronomy clubs. After
graduating from High School, it is important to find a good college for astronomy and
astrophysics. The University of Virginia is a world leader in innovative and cutting edge
science and has one of the largest departments in Southeast. Most astronomy positions
require a PhD degree, which can take five or six years of graduate work. Astronomers work
in many different positions, such as faculty or researchers at universities, observatories
and government labs. Cosmology is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of the
universe, while astrophysics is a branch of space science that applies the laws of physics
and chemistry to explain the birth, life and death of stars, planets, galaxies, nebulae and
other objects in the universe. Not everybody can become an astronomer, but those who
are passionate about astronomy should try it out.