"To command the professors of astronomy to confute their own observations is to enjoin an impossibility, for it is to command them to not see what they do see, and not to understand what they do understand, and to find what they do not discover.” -- Galileo Galile
Almost all astronomers do research. Some are theoreticians who work on the laws governing the structure and evolution of astronomical objects. Others analyze large quantities of data gathered by observatories and satellites, and write scientific papers on their findings.
Some astronomers operate large space- or ground-based telescopes, usually as part of a team. A small number of astronomers work in planetariums. Most students who are serious about becoming research astronomers go on to earn doctoral degrees.
At UIS, students who wish to study Astronomy usually do so through a B.A. in Liberal Studies or an M.A. in Individual Option.
