24 Hours In The Life Of An Astronomer

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ESOcast 4: 24 hours in the life of an ESO astronomer.

Have you ever wondered what it must be like to be an astronomer? In this fourth episode of the ESOcast, Dr. J takes us behind the scenes at ESOs Very Large Telescope in Chile to show us what a day in the life of an ESO staff astronomer is like.

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The countdown for an exciting night with an observation run at the world's most advanced optical telescope, the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT), has begun ...

In this ESOcast episode, were going to follow a day in the life of Dieter Nürnberger. Dieter is a staff astronomer at ESO. His job is to support those scientists that have managed to get observing time on ESOs Very Large Telescope at Paranal Observatory in Chile. Dieter spends most of his working days helping the successful few to make ground-breaking discoveries.

Dieter Nürnberger is on his way to meet the visiting scientists to team up for the night to come. The three have been observing together for several nights, today is their final evening and they are keen to get started. Over dinner they discuss plans for the night ahead.

Well before sunset they leave the Residencia and drive up the desert road to the building housing the VLT control room. At the control building they prepare the observations and check the set up of the telescope. Observing time on these great telescopes is precious and delays must be avoided at all costs.

Like a pilot checking his plane before departure, Dieter goes through a detailed check of his instrument, while the telescope operator does the same for the giant telescope. The astronomers have travelled far for a glorious view of the Universe, and here a glorious view of the sunset is included for free! As usual at Paranal, the conditions are perfect and Dieter and the visiting astronomers return with high expectations.

Read more: http://www.eso.org/public/videos/ESOCAST4/ESOCAST4.pdf

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ESOcast is produced by ESO, the European Southern Observatory. ESO, the European Southern Observatory, is the pre-eminent intergovernmental science and technology organisation in astronomy designing, constructing and operating the worlds most advanced ground-based telescopes.

• http://www.eso.org/
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[TheMathKing]

Fashion sense? For me, clothing is just a means to avoid going to prison for indecent exposure. Who cares about society and fashion when you have such interesting explorations in logic and science?

[Gerafix]

Astronomers get all the chicks.

[viviane5572]

@TheMathKing science explains fashion lol

[SSBBVideoKing]

@Astronomy1996 After they finish their bachelor's degree in college Astronomer's will have to apply to graduate school, but if that graduate school really has an interest in them (and their research), they will usually be paid to go to graduate school. With that said, a path in astronomy isn't necessarily for everyone since it requires so much time in academia

[QweenMiranda1]

@Gerafix hahah yeeeah! :)))

[TitWarlord]

@IrishMarc1 LOL

[Astronomy1996]

Astronomy is a great job but it's very hard to become one as the job field is very popular and it also requires a ph.D which means you have to stay as a student until your around 24 years old which means you need to go to university which now cost alot

[HungerGames14]

:/

[xxxbombom3xxx]

Does anyone know how much money they earn in the us?

[SOyouTHINKurFUNNY]

i want to be an astronomer badly and im going to school for it