Where does an astronomer work?

Astronomers may choose to work in many different environments. Often, they work for national observatories and government-funded labs for federal research. Aerospace firms, planetariums, and science museums also employ astronomers. Some choose academia and spend their time imparting their knowledge to students in a collegiate setting. While astronomers do spend time in observatories, peering through optical, radio, and digital telescopes, it is more common to find them behind a desk doing online research.