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Astronomer - Working conditions

Kaitātai Aorangi

Working Conditions

Astronomers in New Zealand mostly work at universities. They may work in isolated conditions while at observatories.

Astronomers may travel throughout New Zealand or overseas depending on their research area.

Aerial view of Mt John Observatory showing hills and Lake Tekapo in the distance

Mt John Observatory is in a remote location at Lake Tekapo

Photo courtesy of Fraser Gunn, Lake Tekapo

Equipment

Astronomers use specialised equipment such as:

electronic imaging devices
telescopes
photometers (which measure light)
spectrographs (which measure colour)
computers.

The telescope at Mt John Observatory at Lake Tekapo

Photo courtesy of Fraser Gunn, Lake Tekapo

An astronomical telescope

Photo courtesy of University of Canterbury

Hours

Astronomers may work long hours. They may also have to work nights or at weekends.

"Sometimes in a group project we use telescopes at different places around the world so we can observe things in real time, which means I could be working any time of the day or night."

Michael Albrow - Astronomer

Contact with people

Astronomers work independently and in collaboration with others. They may have contact with:

other astronomers
members of the public
students (if lecturing)

They may also supervise research assistants and technicians.

"I love meeting scientists from around the globe when I go to overseas conferences, which happens two or three times a year. Also, because we're involved in collaborative projects with other countries, I frequently come into contact with a diverse group of researchers."

Philip Yock - Astronomer

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Updated May 2009

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