An introduction to astronomy research for aspiring students/researchers/enthusiasts
(Formerly: Introduction-to-Astronomy-Research) and Intro2Astro2019 and Intro2Astro2020
If you are interested in participating in Intro-to-Astro in the summer of 2021, as either an undergraduate student or graduate student mentor please click here to fill out your contact information. There is no cost to participate.
Check this link to Pathways to Science website to find Summer 2021 Undegraduate Research Opportunities including SETI opportunities at Breakthrough Listen and Berkeley SETI Research Center (open for 2021).
Welcome to the essential collection of information that you need to begin your journey into Research Astronomy. The following tutorials, readings, projects and tips are designed to for early college students, advanced high school students, and students with nontraditional career paths to gain the skills they need in order to gain entry into a more formal research project. With exposure and eventual mastering of the skills contained in this repository, students will be better prepared to begin research project either during the semester or over the summer.
This course is designed to be conducted invidually or in a group setting. In this second iteration, the focus will be on intereaction among students in the group, and less focused on a top down teaching structure. That said, we also hope to provide the opportunity for students to brainstorm and plan their own research projects, a skill that often requires years of practice to master. We have many brilliant graduate PhD students who serve as research mentors and tutorial leaders. No students will be turned away for lack of experience.
After completion of these tutorials, students will have the skills need to quickly ramp up on new astronomy research projects, without the need to brush up on basic skills. The astronomy skills will be focused on, but not limited to exoplanet topics. Students are encouraged to use these skills to explore other realms of Astronomy. Once you have completed all of the tutorials, you will be well qualified for a paid internship in astronomy research. Many of these opportunities fall under the title: Research Experience for Undergraduates, and serve as an excellent way to become qualified for graduate studies in astronomy.
We hope this project becomes self sustaining in such a way that others can contribute and add value to the current set of reserach skills presented here. If you have questions, comments or ideas, please feel free to contact us through the issue tracker on this repo. If you work in another field such as biology, chemistry, another specialty within astronomy, and are intereseted in replicating this project for your specific field, please email me directly.
We strive to maintain a welcoming and supportive community for everyone regardless of race, religion, background or identity. Period. For more details, see our Code of Conduct page.