According to people in this career, the main tasks are...
| Task | Importance |
|---|---|
| Mentor graduate students and junior colleagues. | 92% |
| Present research findings at scientific conferences and in papers written for scientific journals. | 92% |
| Collaborate with other astronomers to carry out research projects. | 91% |
| Analyze research data to determine its significance, using computers. | 91% |
| Study celestial phenomena, using a variety of ground-based and space-borne telescopes and scientific instruments. | 88% |
| Supervise students' research on celestial and astronomical phenomena. | 87% |
| Raise funds for scientific research. | 85% |
| Teach astronomy or astrophysics. | 84% |
| Develop instrumentation and software for astronomical observation and analysis. | 82% |
| Measure radio, infrared, gamma, and x-ray emissions from extraterrestrial sources. | 82% |
| Review scientific proposals and research papers. | 81% |
| Develop theories based on personal observations or on observations and theories of other astronomers. | 79% |
| Calculate orbits and determine sizes, shapes, brightness, and motions of different celestial bodies. | 73% |
| Serve on professional panels and committees. | 68% |
| Develop and modify astronomy-related programs for public presentation. | 63% |
| Conduct question-and-answer presentations on astronomy topics with public audiences. | 57% |
| Direct the operations of a planetarium. | 40% |
