Astronomy & Astrophysics - Indiana University - Bloomington

Astronomy & Astrophysics from Indiana University - Bloomington is a Campus Bachelor Astronomy degree that prepares you for a Science career. Education and research in astronomy at Indiana University have a long and proud history, beginning with Professor Daniel Kirkwood in 1856. The Astronomy Department at Indiana University now offers an undergraduate major in Astronomy & Astrophysics and a graduate program leading to the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees . Indiana University is a founding member of the WIYN consortium, which operates modern 3.5-meter and 0.9-meter telescopes at Kitt Peak, Arizona. IU has 17% of the observing time on WIYN, and our undergraduate majors as well as our graduate students participate in observing at WIYN. The department has a wide range of powerful computing facilities for analyzing astronomical data from ground and space-based telescopes and for simulating astrophysical systems from planetary rings to distant clusters of galaxies. What is Astronomy? Astronomy is the study of the entire universe?its past, present and future. It seeks to answer the most fundamental questions humans ask about the nature of our universe and our place in it. One of the most exciting aspects of this field is the extraordinary discoveries of new objects and processes in the universe that are made on a daily basis. Powerful space-based observatories, such as the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the Spitzer Infrared Space Telescope, allow us to peer even further out from Earth and back in time from the present to observe the origins of galaxies, stars, and planets. The rapidly advancing power of computers makes it possible to apply astrophysical principles to simulate the evolution of these objects and thus develop an understanding of their internal processes. The topics covered in astronomy courses and research programs include: the solar system (Sun, planets, asteroids, and comets), the life cycles of stars, our Milky Way galaxy, other galaxies, clusters of galaxies, and the large-scale distribution of both luminous and dark matter in the universe. Careers in Astronomy There are a number of possible career paths in the field of astronomy . Since most professional positions in astronomy require graduate-level education, the Astronomy & Astrophysics undergraduate major at IU is designed to prepare students for graduate study leading to a Masters and/or Ph.D. degree. Most astronomy research is done at either universities or national facilities such as NASA centers (e.g. the Goddard Space Flight Center near Washington, DC) and the national and private observatories (e.g. the National Optical Astronomy Observatory in Tucson, Arizona or the Carnegie Observatory in Pasadena, California). Astronomers at universities typically spilt their time between carrying out research projects and teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels. In addition to these research positions, other careers in astronomy involve teaching at the college of high school level, and working at planetariums and science museums, and working in computer support positions for NASA contractors. Related careers that build on an astronomical background include scientific writing, various positions in the aerospace, defense, surveillance, and environmental fields, and military work (particularly with the Air Force). View more details on Indiana University - Bloomington, IN . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Astronomy courses.