Expert: Jayendra Upadhye - 4/28/2004

Question
Hi, I am a 16 year old indian male interested in studying "Astronomical Sciences" at WITWATERSRAND University, South Africa. I would just like to know
1. What motivated you to do this?
2. What subjects did you do in University?
3. How difficult is the course?
4. Are there are lot of jobs out there for astronomers?
5. How many hours per day does an average astronomer work for?
6. How much money does an average astronomer get paid?
7. Is it an interesting job?
Thanks...

Answer
Hello Teren,
Recently another Indian asked me a similar question.
Nice to personally come across aspiring Indian astronomers really.
Here are answers to your questions in that order.
1 - Just the motivation to learn / know more. I am from gujarat. Gujarat in the late 60s and 70s was going thru a great transformation. Exclusive information (exclusive because of the English/vernacular barrier) was being made vailable to the common man by popular guju magazines costing 70 to 80 paise! These covered black holes to black magic! all was available to anyone who cared to read! I was also lucky to have had a grandfather and father who treasured knowledge and our library was overflowing with books. So you can say the motivation was inherited and nurtured by circumstance.
2 - In university I did physics / math / biology before joing engineering (electrical)
3 - I did not do any course in astronomy! It is a hobby for me.
4 - To my knowledge there arent! Astronomy as a career has to be chosen with care! (The ratio of astronomy jobs to engineering jobs would be abysmally low).
5 - Again from what i have learnt / read about great recent astronomers..it is the passion that counts and produces results..not the hours one puts in! And you could find yourself working atop an isolated hill in an observatory when the rest of the world was sleeping!
6 - The money part I wouldnt know as I am not an astronomer by profession, but it is certainly not a big amount. people are not in this for the money...
7 - Yes to those with a passionate interest, who are captivated by the feeling of "being on the cutting edge" ..who get the feeling  like a child does when reading harry potter..a sense of joy and exhileration..for them THAT is the most interesting job on earth!
Jayen