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Astronomy as a career
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:25 pm
by parvin
Hi everyone,
I am parvin and just recently joined the singastro community. I find that there are a lot of exciting stuff and pictures to view here. I had just finished my 'A'- levels and therefore i planned to study more about astronomy during these long break. My ambition is to become an astronomer since young. So this year when i heard about the development of the spaceport in Singapore, it amazes me. I wonder if there would ever be astronomy as a career there. Also I wonder what courses i could take in Singapore university to become an astronomer. Hope i could get an idea.
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:55 pm
by VinSnr
astronomy as a career here?
Don't think you will have much options.
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:43 pm
by Meng Lee
Errrr, please distinguish whether you want astronomy or aeronautics as a career. People handling spaceports are mostly not astronomers.
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 4:20 pm
by kayheem
Yup, Meng Lee is right.
Spaceport (aeronautics) = earn money
Hobby in astronomy = spend money
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 5:10 pm
by parvin
Oh, sorry i was talking about astronomy as a career. What then do the upcoming development of the spaceport offer? Is there a chance of becoming an astronomer in Singapore?
Parvin
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 5:18 pm
by acc
The spaceport is having difficulty taking off due to a lack of sufficient investor interest. Anyway, there is very limited (if at all) avenues for an astronomy career in Singapore...
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 5:24 pm
by Meng Lee
The spaceport will be for engineers and computational physicists. Not for astronomers.
Astronomer, I see it as these categories:
1) astrophysicist, cosmologist
2) professional observational astronomer (people manning professional observatories.)
The prospects for 1) in Singapore is ~ 0. I am going in this dead path now. The prospects for 2) in Singapore is definitely 0. All observatories here in Singapore are white elephants.
(oops, a topic where I am terribly aggressive about.)
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 5:43 pm
by parvin
I am sorry, i do not understand what u meant by white elephants? Guess my dream of astronomy as career could not be found here.
. I really feel that singapore should have such a career.
Parvin
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 6:01 pm
by VinSnr
parvin wrote:I am sorry, i do not understand what u meant by white elephants? Guess my dream of astronomy as career could not be found here.
. I really feel that singapore should have such a career.
Parvin
err...did you just came to Singapore to study or been here all the while?
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 6:07 pm
by parvin
Oh I have been studying in Singapore all the while. Why?