What Does An Astronomer Actually Do?

[Akom]

I have read that astronomers are highly educated individuals typically with PhDs in sciences etc. I always thought an astronomer was a glorified star watcher. I mean what does an astronomer actually do except look at stars through a telescope? Stars are so far away that surely there isn’t much else to be understood about them except give names to their formations (the plough etc). It would be a cool job to sit up all night studying the stars but I can see it getting boring after about a week!

[Career101]

In general Astronomy is the study of the stars, moons, and other celestial bodies that make up the universe. Astronomy looks at what these bodies are composed of, how they move, and how they came into existence. Astronomers are the people that do the studying. Many astronomers specialize in a particular area of astronomy, as it is a field of science that stretches across numerous disciplines.

So basically astronomers seek an understanding of how the Universe works from the planets in our own Solar System, to the evolution of stars and nebulae, to whole systems of galaxies, to the properties and fate of the Universe as a whole. Modern astronomy is an interdisciplinary science that relies upon, and furthers the development of, fields such as physics, chemistry, computer science, and mathematics.

You do not need to become a astronomer to watch the stars. Nowadays you can get very powerful telescope for a decent price which allows you do to do some star watching on you own and if you find that you really like it then you might consider it as a career choice as it is a quite a big commitment to become a astronomer.