The TRUTH About Majoring In Astronomy

[@chrisallen9509]

Personally I feel that the PhD is much more enriching than the undergraduate degree. You don’t have to worry about grades, feel like you deeply solidify your foundational understanding, and become an expert in your specific subfield. Undergrad felt more like the embodiment of the expression “jack of all trades, master of none”

[@MorganAdair]

Agreed! I can really only speak on undergrad, but yeah you can't really become a master at anything with just an undergrad degree. I love the idea of becoming an expert in your specific field :)

[@RWin-fp5jn]

@@MorganAdair there is nothing astronomy inits current form has to offer . No understanding of how a solar system forms, no understanding of what a galaxy or forms and zero understanding of how the cosmos formed. It is stuck in dogma, increasingly contradictive to the most recent observations, JWST only the beginning. So no I wouldnt study it if I where you.

[@jemehrtestobesser262]

Still better than a master of one

[@hiccup1890]

I’ve been looking into majors and astronomy has only ever been the major that stood out to me and seemed fitting. I’ve just been too intimidated because of the difficulty and I was never taught about the career opportunities for studying it

[@MorganAdair]

I can totally relate to this. It's really not obvious and it can be really intimidating, especially with all the physics.

[@not.skywalker]

I’m in this position, but I just am not doing well in classes. I’m really upset bc this is the only thing I’ve ever had interest in but I just don’t think I’m smart enough

[@shanicemack4406]

Just finished my bachelor’s in physics, astronomy concentration & honestly I couldn’t imagine having done another major. It’s difficult for sure, but the Astro classes make it all soo worth it!

[@MorganAdair]

I can image that that would've been difficult, but I'm glad that the astro classes made everything worth it!!

[@GodspokenYT]

@@MorganAdairHi! I know im late but I’m also contemplating if I should major in astrophysics, (or astronomy and physics) (idk if their the same thing) I don’t like math but I really like space. I’m 15 and taking advanced classes and I just wanted to ask if you truly enjoyed your experience.(also if it’s too hard)

[@fcsprinter6210]

I’ve been really interested in astronomy since childhood. Strongly thinking about going back to school and changing fields. This is really helpful.

[@MorganAdair]

So happy to hear that you're considering going into astronomy as a profession, and that this video was helpful!

[@shinobu9537]

I’m an astrophysics major, this is really epic thank you :)

[@MorganAdair]

Hey that's awesome! My pleasure :)

[@markparrotte9844]

Great video. My brother got his PhD in astronomy at Cornell. He used to tell me about his courses and research... I had so much more respect for his endeavors. My doctorate is in English Lit.. so different but pretty difficult at times. Not as tough as astronomy though! Kudos.

[@MorganAdair]

Appreciate it!

[@Noomagenial]

I was planning to attend Astronomy, this video was very helpful because its coming from a personal experience, thank you :)

[@MorganAdair]

I loooove astronomy. It's just so awe-inspiring! I'm really glad that you found the video helpful :)

[@sophia6008]

This is a great video, I’ve always wanted to major in astronomy since I was a kid, but now that I’m about to graduate from high school I’m so scared because of the amount of math and physics, I feel like it’s way too difficult

[@MorganAdair]

Thank you! And yeah, the math and physics can seem pretty intimidating. I wasn't really great at physics in high school, so you really never know! But yeah, it was pretty difficult, I can't lie.

[@wealthelife]

I didn't do astronomy as an elective in my undergrad degree (back in the 80s) as Physics II was a prerequisite to do astronomy as a third year physics elective, and I wasn't all that great at math and hadn't enjoyed Physics I all that much. After doing a BAppSc(AppChem) degree I later did a GradDipAppChem and GradDipAppSc(Industrial math & computing) PT, and then eventually (in the early 2000s) did a MAstron PT via distance education 'for fun'. I found that amount of math required wasn't very demanding -- mostly just applying equations to solve problems rather than doing derivations or proofs that undergrad math courses require. A lot more like applied math than pure math. Despite not being 'great' at math I managed to get a 6.5 GPA and an academic medal for the MAstron by coursework degree. I also found computing programming courses were quite useful in the astronomy masters courses. And then when I started doing a PT PhD in Astronomy (dropped out after a couple of years as doing it PT while having a FT job was too difficult when I had some health issues) I found it was mostly computing to analyse the data acquired during remote 'observation' sessions ('observation' was basically just running software (calibration, targeting, optimising parameters to get good S:N etc) for an 8-hr 'slot' that had been granted on equipment located on the other side of the planet). Often you just have to have enough math background to be able to understand the equations presented and used in the astronomy literature. So, even if you do a generic science undergrad degree, you can always do a masters in Astronomy later on 'for fun'. ps. A BSc majoring in astronomy won't get you any job in the field of astronomy (except maybe an 'education officer' at a public observatory or planetarium), and is probably less useful than other science majors for getting a job as a graduate. For a job in astronomy you basically need to do a PhD and then a series of postdoc positions. pps. I terms of a double major involving astronomy, I'd add chemistry as another option, as astrochemistry is another area for PhD astronomy research (eg. exoplanet atmospheric research using transit absorption spectroscopy would make a foundation in atmospheric chemistry and Spectroscopy quite handy). And a lot of astronomical research involves chemistry and spectroscopy when looking at nebulae, stellar nurseries etc. And of course having computer science as a double major with astronomy would often be more useful than a double major in physics and astronomy (the only reason that physics seems a 'natural' double major with astronomy is that Year 1 physics is probably common with Year 1 astronomy.

[@castjo7814]

@@wealthelifemy boy you wrote wayyy to much

[@jessdunn05]

@@wealthelife🎉

[@jeffholland3502]

- You study astronomy. Two thumbs up! Astrology gets two thumbs down.

[@MorganAdair]

Astrology's fine, but please don't mix that up with astronomy 😂

[@alldavids4202]

I’m so sorry you have to deal with people confusing astronomy and astrology! You must have tremendous patience.

[@MorganAdair]

Patience is key!

[@RileyTheGamer]

In high school, my first physics teacher was genius. He worked for NASA at one point. One of the smartest people I’ve ever encountered. He passed away halfway through the semester. He was one of those people that it was so easy for him, he couldn’t explain it. If it confused someone, that was far beyond more difficult for him to understand, than physics alone. The guy who took over WAS just a chemistry teach but decided to do both. I heard he was the same way. His name was Mr. Dyck (pronounced like Dick). The funny quote at school was “Dyck is hard.” His class was hard. But I passed with flying colors. He let me do everything my way. He wasn’t strict on “do it MY way.” He let me do it how I pleased. He offered advice. If I got confused, he explained it in a way that made sense to ME. He typically didn’t do this. He had zero tolerance for lack of effort. Any lack of effort. If he caught you slacking once, and you end up struggling with what we learned that day, tough luck. He loved effort. His rule was if you try, he will do his best to get you to pass. Most people passed his class with a C or B. A few people would scrape by with an A-. Then obviously the highly intelligent kids had no issues. I passed with high A’s. In fact our final had a HUGE curve on it. He said if anyone got every question right, they could get a 150% on it. I did. He pushed me so hard to do AP Physics but I didn’t. I wish I had. I was an assistant in some of his other classes. He also sent people to me for tutoring which was really out of the norm for me. I was looked at as a “dumb jock” but when it came to math and sciences, I loved it. I committed to a nearby university to play baseball and study engineering. I somehow managed to get into a lot of impressive engineering schools. I switched to astronomy right before the semester started. Then 2 days before the semester started, I had to back out for financial reasons. I had a scholarship for baseball, but it was a private school, tuition was high. And because I was an athlete, this school had a policy that freshman athletes live in a dorm. Room and board was outrageous. I’m still devastated to this day that I didn’t get my chance. I am in school now pursuing an associates in business to advance at my current employer. I’m almost done. But I work full time, married, 3 year old and another child on the way. I debate every single day switching to go for a Bachelors in astronomy. Something tells me to get this associates first so I have SOMETHING if astronomy is too hard. Then go for astronomy later. But idk man. Wish I had my chance. I fear if I try now, it’ll be too much with my situation.

[@MorganAdair]

That's quite the story. I'm sorry to hear that your first physics teacher passed halfway through the semester. It's super impressive to be able to excel in sports and in academics, so props to you for all of the hard work that must have taken. I'm also really really sorry that you weren't able to pursue astronomy at university. I think it's a great idea to get your associate's in business so you can advance at your current employer. Like you said, I think it's a really good idea to have a backup in case things don't go your way in the future. But I would encourage you to go for astronomy later if it really sounds interesting to you! Especially if you want to go into astronomy, physics, engineering, or something related in the future. I'm sure it'll be extra tough being married with two children and potentially working at the same time, but I think it's might at least be worth a shot and at least you'll know you tried. I think knowing that you tried could take some of the weight of that perpetual questioning off of your shoulders.

[@Patrik6920]

...ya I agree Physics is quite easy... but it can also take along long time... its even more aparent in Astronomy of obvious reasons... Tip: study math and higher math in particular in ur free time (The language of Science).. ..do not be discuraged ... most scientist dont have a complete understanding (why else would u do experiments and tests) ... do alot of problem solving/mental testing, calulate on ridiculous problems ...

[@reginaroberts6408]

I am in a kind of similar boat. Currently majoring in Marketing with a minor in CS and Graphic Design, but was always interested in astronomy. Took one of the introductory courses this past semester and now debating if I should take away my minors and double major in Marketing and Astronomy, which does not make sense at all.. Thank you for sharing your experience!

[@MorganAdair]

You're right! You are in quite a similar situation. I loved astronomy so much. Your CS skills will come in handy if you do decide to add astronomy! And my pleasure :) Let me know if you have any questions!

[@reginaroberts6408]

@@MorganAdair Thank you for your reply! I was actually curious about your plans after graduation if this question is not too personal to ask? I heard some people skip masters and go for a phd right away. Plus, with your second major, it is possible to already enter a workforce and fund the higher education?(At least that is what I plan on doing if I stick with it). Again, thank you for sharing, it honestly helps a lot knowing that there is a person with a similar situation.

[@MorganAdair]

@@reginaroberts6408 Yeah so most people go straight for a PhD and get the master's as a part of the PhD program. And astronomy PhD programs are generally fully funded! So you wouldn't need to work while doing the PhD. The stipend tends to only be between maybe like $25,000-$35,000 though, which isn't much. It'll be a hard few years for sure. I ended up not pursuing astronomy and just entered the workforce because of a lot of school-related anxiety, the huge commitment, and the low pay.

[@wealthelife]

I@@MorganAdair It probably depends on where you are doing the PhD. Here in Australia it used to be common (back in the 80s and 90s) to go straight into a PhD program after completing a BSc Hons I or IIA, but these days the Aussie unis nearly all requiring research training/experience -- so you have to either do a research masters degree first, or do a MPhil prior to starting a PhD. I was able to get into an astronomy PhD program with just a coursework MAstron degree, but I think my experience working in a research assistance position in a chemical engineering research company (and being co-author on a 'paper' helped). Then again, after doing a MFinPlan degree I was able to get straight into a PhD program in financial planning at one uni (two others wanted me to do a MPhil degree first for 'research training', which didn't suit me as the MPhil required substantial fees, whereas the PhD has government funding (so no fees)). You can of course enrol in a MRes degree in astronomy, then 'upgrade' to a PhD after a year (FT) or two (PT) if you are going well enough. The MRes is an 'exit point' offered if your research doesn't seem likely to be good enough for a PhD thesis (or several papers, if doing the PhD by publication) but will be good enough for a Masters thesis. I never worried about getting a scholarship/stipend for my postgrad degrees, as I always did them PT while having a FT job -- but if you want to do a FT PhD straight after a good undergrad degree, you would have to get a scholarship/stipend, which makes the competition for the limited number of places a lot harder.

[@Rawbeauty00]

@@MorganAdair sorry can you elaborate on the PhD programs being fully funded? is that just in the USA? and by that do you mean the tuition fees are covered or do you also mean maintenance/living costs? thank you

[@sakuyarules]

My school doesn't even offer "regular astronomy" anymore, just astrophysics. My roommate thought alchemy was the same as chemistry :x

[@MorganAdair]

It's kind of crazy how many people don't know these things 😂

[@error_tryagain_4049]

Alchemy=chemistry? I can see why they thought that, but at the same time, I'm trying very hard not to just, like, perish 👁💧👄💧👁

[@halin247]

Thanks Morgan , this is some solid stuff , been looking for this :)

[@MorganAdair]

So glad it was helpful!

[@Asia-mp9uf]

Also heading to the University of Maryland for astronomy!! this helped a lot, thank you :)

[@MorganAdair]

Omg! That’s awesome! I hope you have the best time :)

[@carlito6842]

THANKS REALLY NEEDED THAT

[@PraveenSrJ01]

I was born in 1983 and will turn 41 years old this year and majored in accounting in college 20 years ago but I’ve always had an interest in astronomy. 🔭

[@MorganAdair]

I would encourage you to pursue learning about astronomy on the side and maybe even consider amateur astronomy!

[@realzachfluke1]

I really enjoyed this, thank you 😃

[@MorganAdair]

Of course! Thank you so much for this comment :)

[@ocelotMartinez]

Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video. I am just starting my degree, but I am an older adult, 52, I don't really know what I can really get hired to do as an astronomer, but I just find the stuff fascinating. I am having a hard time passing pre-calculus, and as I understand it that is just the beginning of all the math I will have to take... But at the very least I will get an Associate's degree in astronomy, in my college it only requires algebra.

[@MorganAdair]

They aren't lying when they say that pre-calculus is just the beginning of all the math! I think it's definitely worthwhile to get the associate's in astronomy since you find it fascinating. I did an astronomy bachelor's because I found the subject interesting, and then I did one in economics in order to get a job. So nothing wrong with that!

[@animallover7072]

Thanks for making this video. This information was very helpful.

[@MorganAdair]

Of course! I'm glad it was helpful. Thank you for the kind words :)

[@minniyvaej]

I'm going to start High School next month and I was planning to start making plans of what I'm gonna do after getting out of HS, I really reallyyy wanted to consider astronomy to pursue as a major later in college. But on the other side, I've always had passion for music but astronomy and music are just two different worlds 😭😭😭

[@middlenerd178]

High schooler student planning to major in astrophysics here! You don’t have to choose now. Especially in high school, you can enjoy doing both! Even though I don’t plan to pursue music professionally, I do plan to teach kids trumpet and guitar as a side job in college at least. You don’t need to worry too much, just focus of enjoying your freshman year, meeting new people, and getting solid grades :)

[@MorganAdair]

I completely agree with @middlenerd178! I personally majored in astronomy and did music extracurriculars like marching band and concert band because I enjoy music too.

[@wsoux_9598]

Hi! I’m right now a high school student and astronomy and the space field in general is what i most think about to the point my heart rate goes up and I smile so hard every time i think about studying it ( even now while writing this comment) anyway, i still face some problems with math and physics and that’s why I’m afraid to major in astronomy. to be fair i don’t put the effort to study i believe if i tried maybe i will make it so what do you think?

[@MorganAdair]

Astronomy mainly encompasses physics, math, statistics, and writing. I think that it would be smart for you to try as hard as you can to put in the effort to study math and physics, as they are arguably the backbone of astronomy. I definitely think you have a shot! You've just got to put in the effort. Good luck!

[@bikerchrisukk]

Well done for your educational achievements and for presenting this information for younger viewers that need help with their ambitions 👍

[@MorganAdair]

Thank you so much! I appreciate it :)

[@markelowitz8948]

My suggestion to Astronomy and/or Astrophysics majors is to take a couple of courses on machine learning, because it is being used more and more in these fields. You almost have to have a basic understanding on machine learning to survive in the astronomy job market or graduate school.

[@chemicalnamesargon]

thank you for the suggestion, im looking at studying chemistry with an astronomy minor and your comment helped!

[@MorganAdair]

Great suggestion!!

[@სატოდა]

Is an Iraqi girl who was born in 2007 , it’s really impossible dream to reach 💔

[@MorganAdair]

I'll hold hope for you. Much love

[@adrianrodriguez9582]

As a highschooler i always was interested to be an astronomer as i had a passion in amatuer astronomy and i feel indecisive to pursue it since im not so good at math.

[@MorganAdair]

I totally get this. I was afraid to pursue astronomy at first because I thought I wouldn't be very good at physics. It turned out that, with hard work and dedication, I was able to get the hang of things and be a successful astronomy major :)

[@adrianrodriguez9582]

@@MorganAdair thank you for this small motivation i really needed it!

[@dylancoykendall554]

I’ve always been more of a liberal arts minded guy, but as I’m getting ready to go to college I’m starting to consider taking astronomy courses because I’ve always had a passion for space. Unfortunately I’m not the best at math which will be a problem.

[@MorganAdair]

I'd definitely encourage you to try it out! I know that at my university there were classes for majors and classes for non majors, and the non major classes didn't have very much math at all. It was mostly just information that we were learning. Maybe see if your school has something like that?

[@dylancoykendall554]

@@MorganAdair hey that’s pretty cool I’ll check that out, thanks!

[@MorganAdair]

@@dylancoykendall554 Of course!! Let me know how it goes :)

[@Juligeon333]

My mum says that being a biomedical scientist is better than an Astronomy because there aren’t many astronomers out there than biomedical scientists. But I rlly love space and although I hate maths and I’m terrible at it, I still wanna try. Should I stick with Astronomy?

[@MorganAdair]

She is right that there are relatively few astronomers out there and I would guess that there would be more biomedical scientists than astronomers. Astronomy is very heavy on math, so I'm not sure that I would recommend going into it if you really don't like math. There's always the possibility that you could improve at math over time and maybe not hate it as much, so you can definitely try out astronomy and then if the math is too much or just not enjoyable, you don't have to stick with it.

[@g.v.6450]

There’s one more waiting for you: when you describe what you do to a dullard in a bar and they reply “Oh, so you’re an ‘astronomist’!” (Yeah, I’m an “astronomist” 😖) BTW, great video!

[@MorganAdair]

Hahaha this is definitely a classic. Thank you!

[@onetruekeeper]

You can buy a good telescope that has a high res camera for video and photos and star tracking. On some you can add a thermal, infra-red or spectrum analyser attachment. There is no real full time job prospects in astronomy unless you know somebody already working at the obsevatory or have connections to rich people that fund the astronomy research. You don't even have to go to college to study astronomy, just do it yourself for fun and it is a lot cheaper.

[@MorganAdair]

I would agree that the job market in astronomy is really tough right now. I think it can be worth it to study astronomy if you're also studying something else (to get a job). Doing astronomy as an amateur is typically pretty different from doing it as a professional.

[@agentlavender314]

omg i face with my friends confusing astronomy and astrology all the time it is seriously annoying u must have loads of patience 😭

[@MorganAdair]

Patience is definitely key! 😂

[@DavidMFChapman]

What you studied sounds like astrophysics, which is less likely to be confused with astrology. My beef with astrology is that it is prejudiced, in the sense of “pre-judging.” The fundamental idea is that your character is based on the disposition of the planets on the day you were born, which you have no control over.

[@MorganAdair]

Exactly. I think it's okay to practice astrology if what you get from it is some kind of joy or feeling of security, but it should not be equated with astronomy or astrophysics.

[@abbieamavi]

this was so helpful, thank you!

[@MorganAdair]

So glad it was helpful!

[@homiesmol935]

I gave up calling my major astrophysics and always end up saying that it’s physics everytime I meet new people 😂

[@MorganAdair]

That's a really good strategy actually. Might have to adopt that 😂

[@genes5937]

Thank you for the video. One question for you. I want to study something related to astronomy but at the college level. My wife and I will be retiring from the military after twenty years and have our masters already related to our respective trades (finance / hr management). We will be retiring to Chile and want to get into astronomy as a serious hobby, not looking to make money. We want to study so we can get a better understanding (and Chile is great for this kind of thing) but we are not heavy science/calculus/physics people. What can we study online that would help us with this? We do not expect to make money since we will have our pensions but it’s a developing passion for us (just got our first intermediate telescope) and we are beginning our planning. Thank you

[@MorganAdair]

That's a really good question. I'm not sure exactly where you could go online, but when I was in college I took some astronomy classes for non-majors, and they weren't very math/science/physics heavy at all. So you can definitely learn a lot about astronomy without getting too into the physics of it. I'm sure there are actually educational videos on KZbin that would teach astronomy at a college level.

[@Naomi-ix6tn]

"Hey, so what do you do?" "I am an astrophysicist" "Oh okay I am a Gemini" "..."

[@MorganAdair]

Yes!

[@PraveenSrJ01]

This is a really cool 🆒 video since I’m really interested in astronomy 🔭 and outer space 🪐

[@MorganAdair]

Thank you! I appreciate it!

[@PraveenSrJ01]

@@MorganAdair thanks for replying

[@ahabarhossain773]

I heard it is quite hard to support a family whilst being an astronomy major. What do you think?

[@MorganAdair]

I imagine that it would be pretty hard to support a family, yes. It'll definitely be a lot of work.

[@ahabarhossain773]

@MorganAdair interesting. Would you say this is mainly the case if you are going into academia like doing post docs and stuff because I know starting off, it doesnt pay well? I assume if you choose to go for a career in the industry even if it's not astronomy related (astronomy and physics as far as I know is a versatile major) it shouldn't be that much more difficult than other majors?

[@MorganAdair]

Yes, I would say it would be especially difficult if you go into a PhD and do post docs because you would hardly earn enough to support yourself, let alone a family. I think you're right about it not necessarily being more difficult than any other major if you major in physics and go into industry.

[@ahabarhossain773]

@MorganAdair nice to know. Do you think that could apply to astronomy too or an astronomy and physics degree? My university in particular basically integrated astronomy and physics into one program as an astrophysics degree. I'm pretty sure there are lots of jobs in the industry for it also.

[@vimel923]

YOOOOO you went to UMD too? GO TERPS!

[@MorganAdair]

Yes! Go Terps indeed!

[@alansilverman8500]

Don't let them get to you Morgan, they're only messing with you... It used to bug me too when people mixed the two up, but then I realized they don't know the difference they just think it's really cool! Just let them know what you do is like what Neil DeGrasse Tyson does...

[@blakegrohmann5628]

I’m wanting to major in astronomy and planetary sciences in online university, but I am very nervous about the physics. I’m not horrible at math but that also makes me nervous. Any advice? Thanks

[@MorganAdair]

That's exciting! I think my best piece of advice would be to do a lot of practice problems relating to whatever you're doing in class at any given time. That way you'll get exposure to several different types of problems, and you'll be able to recognize strategies to use when certain types of problems come up. "Practice makes perfect" turns out to be a pretty accurate statement in this case!

[@erwinveenhoven]

Yeah, great how you can always spot a Libra :) It's indeed a pity that the name 'study of stars' has been claimed by those of a different science definition. Don't let it get you down, as astronomically speaking all the interesting stuff is up!

[@MorganAdair]

Very clever comment! You're 100% correct :)

[@RollingCalf]

She is an astronomess

[@MorganAdair]

Love that 😂

[@huntermosley9396]

i am actually considering getting a degree in astronomy

[@MorganAdair]

It's a really interesting degree!

[@sageisticc]

what do u think abt double majoring in philosophy in relation to a physics major? my uni doesnt offer astronomy as a major which is why ill be prioritizing that in grad school.

[@MorganAdair]

I think that's a great combo. Philosophy ties into a lot of the questions we're trying to answer about the universe, just without all of the math. I think it'd be really interesting and give you a unique perspective on things.

[@yogitaraut4632]

Hi Morgan, my daughter is also interested in studying therotical physics

[@MorganAdair]

That's great to hear!

[@chinnavenky1729]

Astronomy Vs Astrophysics Which Course us best for future opportunities

[@MorganAdair]

Astronomy and astrophysics are generally synonymous words, but if those are two actual options for you, I would gravitate toward astrophysics.

[@kthsnriki9895]

I'm in my last year of high school so I've been stressed about what subject to take in university. Astronomy seems to be the only subject I've always truly found interesting. now i want to major in the subject and maybe become a research assistant later on. I'm not really that good at physics, do you think Astronomy would be a good subject for my future?

[@MorganAdair]

There is definitely a lot of physics in astronomy, and you'll have an opportunity to practice and potentially get better at it when you first start. I would assume that you could always start out with astronomy and then if the physics is too much you can see about switching to something else.

[@kthsnriki9895]

@MorganAdair I'm seriously considering taking astronomy as my major, and if if gets too much I guess I can go work into other fields since I'd eventually have to study a lot about physics, chemistry, maths, programming etc during astronomy courses! thank you so much for replying and also for the video it's been really helpful!! 💗

[@MorganAdair]

@@kthsnriki9895 Of course! I think that's a great idea. You got this!

[@kthsnriki9895]

@MorganAdair you're so sweet thank you so much!!

[@dacreeper8984]

Hello ma'am i am a student who just completed high school and i love astronomy. Unfortunately i am not able to do a bachelor's in astronomy.Can u pls recommend me some engineering degrees that goes close to astronomy?

[@MorganAdair]

Hi! Yeah, for the closest thing to astronomy in engineering, I'd say probably aerospace if that's available to you.

[@DrAndyShick]

Wouldn't the physics courses required also include Physics I and II?

[@MorganAdair]

Yes!

[@nutherefurlong]

Calling it "Stellar Physics" to random people to maybe bridge the gap faster, or is that too much of a compromise given that it doesn't overlap with everything?

[@MorganAdair]

That's a possibility! Physics of the universe? Physics of space? I don't know, it's a tough one :)

[@nutherefurlong]

@@MorganAdair I thought of Star Physics but that sounds like science fiction somehow. And I guess Stellar Physics can mean you're really good at physics. And of course astronomy is more than just "arranging stars"... The problem is more in -olog, since so many sciences use the suffix. In solidarity maybe they can rename to geonomy, bionomy...

[@AlvinLeong-me3iu]

Always heard it is better to get a degree in Physics then a Masters in Astronomy😂

[@MorganAdair]

You would be absolutely correct 😂

[@Shrimplump.]

What do astronomers do im thinking of majoring in it but I keep seeing stuff about it being mainly writing papers and studies

[@MorganAdair]

What you've been reading is accurate. Being an astronomer means that you're doing research, which involves writing up your findings in papers.

[@doktormcnasty]

Well if it's not easy then it's not for me. Here for a good time not a hard time, know what I mean?

[@MorganAdair]

Totally!

[@malcomflibbleghast8140]

theres differing types of astrology. prob worth looking at ancient china, and their view of the universe.

[@MorganAdair]

True!

[@iknowwhatyoudid5930]

Pls never delete this 🥹

[@MorganAdair]

I will keep it up forever ;)

[@LarryShakir-o4s]

Do you think earth is flat or round ?

[@MorganAdair]

lol it's round

[@KOBKmonte]

What about jobs for astronomy?

[@MorganAdair]

I actually made a video about astronomy careers that you can take a look at if you'd like :)

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@MorganAdair >>> (1) Great video...👍 (2) Who the F-WORD _doesn't_ know what ASTRONOMY is?! Or what the DIFFERENCE between ASTRONOMY and ASTROLOGY is??!!

[@MorganAdair]

Thanks! You'd be surprised 😂

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@@MorganAdair >>> Well, it IS the 2020s, so...😉🤭

[@theultimatereductionist7592]

Who in the world says astronomy is "easy"?

[@MorganAdair]

You would be surprised 😂

[@theultimatereductionist7592]

Go terrapins (turtles)!

[@MorganAdair]

Go Terps!!

[@richardcommins4926]

So what does it mean when my sun sign is in Taurus and my moon sign is in Virgo? LOL Just kidding. The problem here is with all the intensive study you did to get your bachelors in astronomy (I know it was hard), a BS in astronomy get you the privilege of sweeping the floors at an observatory. The minimum that you need in this field is a PHD in astronomy to be taken seriously. There are very few high paying jobs in astronomy and those jobs have lots of people to fill them with PHDs. Even a job in physics has the same problem. I would suggest going into engineering or computer programming if you want to make a living.

[@MorganAdair]

Agreed. It's really not possible to get a straight up astronomy-related job with just a bachelor's degree. However, I think it's definitely possible to get jobs in general with an astronomy bachelor's as long as you do a good job of showing how the skills you learned during your degree apply to whatever position you're applying for. You're right though, engineering and computer science seem to have relatively great returns.

[@richardcommins4926]

@@MorganAdair You didn't even mention your student loan balance amount and how much you borrowed to get this degree. You are right that you have a very good technical degree but not employable because of the competition in your chosen field. The problem most schools won't tell you is that if you don't work in the field of your degree, all you really have is a 2 year degree. All that math, physics and science that you took is a great start in engineering or computer programming but you didn't take those courses. You will not have a problem with the math in those courses but you do need the knowledge they impart to you. Don't forget about the 5 year half life of an education. The rule is that you lose about half of what you learned in college in about 5 years. If you do plan on changing majors, I would start very soon. That also means more debt. I did find in my career that what you learn in college is just a good broad education in your chosen field and the real education happens on the job. That is the time you start to specialize your knowledge in the field that your company is working in.

[@MorganAdair]

@@richardcommins4926 Loans are definitely something to consider as well, and you're right that you lose what you learned in college over time and the real education happens on the job. I also have a degree in economics so admittedly, that's mainly what got me into my current actuarial career path. I've definitely learned most of what I do for work on the job and not in school, so you're on the money with that as well.

[@richardcommins4926]

@@MorganAdair Honey, you are one smart lady and cute too. I would get myself a 16" telescope and setup my own observatory and use astronomy as a hobby. You economics degree is what will pay the bills. Learn about investing and the market place. I got my degree in electronics engineering and worked at a fortune 500 company for 35 years till I retired. Before I retired, I was an electronic design engineer specializing in low level detectors for Gas Chromatographs and the last 5 years I was designing a Liquid Quadrupole Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer. I worked in Research and Development for 35 years before I was forced to leave, so I am now retired. I still do electronic consulting work in my engineering specialty that I enjoy doing.

[@MorganAdair]

@@richardcommins4926 I do actually own a telescope! I just need to educate myself a little bit on amateur astronomy so I can make good use of it. And you're correct, I plan on working in the actuarial field to pay the bills. I wouldn't try to get an astronomy-related job at this point because the options are limited and so is the pay of course. It sounds like you had quite a successful career and now you're equipped to do some of your own business during your retirement, which is pretty impressive.

[@PBeringer]

Please change the title to, "The Truth About Majoring in Astronomy ... in the US". Thanks.

[@MorganAdair]

Very true, this does only apply to people in the US.

[@classonbread5757]

​@@MorganAdairIt applies near analogously to us in Canada as well I would say.

[@MorganAdair]

@@classonbread5757 that's great to hear!

[@cspahn3221]

0:30 They need to be called out for their bullshit pseudoscience

[@MorganAdair]

Yes!

[@Paul_C]

Find a different group of people as friends, maybe?

[@MorganAdair]

My friends are lovely :)

[@mikosxoptix-kj1re]

I’m going to university and I have majors computer science and space science is space science astronomy?

[@MorganAdair]

So happy to hear that! To my understanding, space science encompasses literally anything having to do with space. So that would include astronomy/astrophysics, solar physics, planetary science, life sciences, geology, and even meteorology. If I were you, I'd just check what courses are required for that major to make sure that it covers what you're really interested in learning about.

[@mikosxoptix-kj1re]

@@MorganAdair Please may I contact for questions