IamA Astronomer AMA!

What is the most likely thing that could destroy Earth completely (or at least remove all life) that would come in the next 100 years?

Destroying Earth completely is pretty hard- it's a rather big rock.

Destroying all life is similarly hard- those bacteria by the thermal vents aren't going to die from most things we'd die from.

Destroying humanity though... well assuming it's not us in thermonuclear war, I'd go with a space rock slamming into us. We know it happens pretty regularly, and the Russian meteorite a little while back was a 20m diameter rock that injured a thousand people. We currently have no defenses in place even if we discovered one big enough to destroy the planet.

you're very impressive. would you like a trophy husband?

Yeah, but I'm picky. So what do you have to offer a globetrotting astrophysicist? ;-)

I'm a nifty cleaner, can cook decently well, I'll take care of the kids (if and when you want them), I like expensive things, I'm in great shape, I know three languages, I love traveling, I'm an excellent packer, I'm always very prepared, I have an impeccable sense of direction, in three months I'll be a college graduate (so you can [hopefully] help pay for my loans), and I'm supposedly rather attractive.

shall I continue my résumé or are you already swooned?

The issue I have here is your assumption that a PhD stipend is enough to cover loans!

How does one go about starting this type of career?

Study a lot of physics and a lot of math. These days, astronomy is a branch of physics where we use the universe as our lab to study how things work, and you pretty much get a physics degree even if you major in astronomy. (I actually did physics straight up through my MSc.)

Beyond that, I'd say being stubborn and approaching things with a keen sense of wonder helps too! :)

You're telling me that by studying the two topics I WANT to study in college, I have a shot at the career I WANT to be in?!

I wish I could put into words just how happy I am right now.

Sounds like my thought process when I figured it out at the time too. It's great, ain't it? Good luck!

In the hacking community, we have these things called "Final Solutions". If you're ever raided by the Feds, all of your files are released onto to the Internet, there's nothing that can stop it.

In the case that something goes tragically wrong here on earth like a gamma ray burst, do we have a "final solution"-esque thing that launches our history and our story into space in hopes that some other life form will find it?

I'm really not aware of any conscious attempts at something like that, no. But we send out stuff like radio signals every day without thinking about it, so that will be our best legacy (along with the stuff we left on the moon).

What's the coolest thing you've seen through a telescope?

When I was a teenager I was lucky enough to attend astronomy camp out in Arizona. One night we looked at the sky through a 61" telescope with an eyepiece.

A globular cluster had so many stars in it you didn't know what to focus on, nebulae had all sorts of strange colors, and you could see multiple gaps in Saturn's rings!

If I had the money I'd send all of our politicians out for a night of observing on that telescope- we wouldn't have any issues with funding anymore.

nebulae had all sorts of strange colors

I didn't know you could see the colors of a nebula. I thought they always appeared grey and black to our eyes.

They don't in a 61" telescope!

No really, even the Orion Nebula had some color in my 8" I had as a kid. It looked greenish, due to the oxygen in it.

Hi! Why does the oxygen make it look green?

It's the emission line of oxygen when it's excited. They're all specific for different atoms and transitions of the electrons, and that's a particularly common one.

Mt. Lemmons observatory?! I went to that camp in high school. It's what made me decide to get my bachelors in astronomy. I'm currently working on a Masters in medical physics so it didn't quite pan out the way I'd planned, but it's super cool to hear from someone else that's been.

Oh cool, what year did you go? I was there 2002-2005, as both a camper and then a counselor.

What are the recent breakthroughs in astronomy that most people don`t know about and what do you think will be some future breakthroughs in your expected lifetime?

What most people don't realize is these days extrasolar planet searches are getting to the point where we can now find Earth-sized planets, and start making observations of atmospheric composition of extrasolar planets too (though usually bigger). So those in the field tell me in a decade or so we should be able to measure if there is free oxygen in a planetary atmosphere.

Free oxygen for those who don't know pretty much requires life to put it there, as it oxidizes really quickly with rocks otherwise. So if I had to bet my money, we're going to first know of life around other stars from this measurement.

Mind it won't be as spectacular as many people think such a discovery should be- we won't know from this measurement if it's an algae or an advanced civilization putting that oxygen there- but it'll still be something!

Mind it won't be as spectacular as many people think such a discovery should be

I've got to disagree with you a little on this point, because even finding algae on other planets would be pretty damn spectacular!

Nah, I don't think it'll really change people's viewpoints on the universe as much as they think in the long run. Most will just post about it on Facebook.

Do you believe in Aliens?

Believe there is other life in the universe, yes. Believe it has come to Earth, no.

Do you believe their is life within our solar system? Bacteria, etc?

Well we're life in our Solar System. ;-)

No really, I don't see why there can't be bacteria on Mars or Europa and such. It happens pretty much anywhere you look on Earth, so I find it pretty closed-minded to assume we're that special.

Do people ever mix your job up with astrology and ask you for their lucky numbers this week? Also what are my lucky numbers this week?

Oh yeah. Really awkward when a guy does that who's trying to chat you up in a bar.

Your lucky numbers are 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42.

Can you tell us one truly awesome fact about space that would blow us away, that most of us may not already know?

By sitting still, you are moving 1.9 million miles per hour (3 million km/hr). Most of this is from the Milky Way moving towards an area called the Great Attractor.

Here is a breakup if you want to know more about where that number comes from.

Edit: for those asking, gravity is what's pulling us to the Great Attractor. It's most likely an even more giant bunch of galaxies.

There's one thing that I always wondered, what is the reference when saying: We're going at 3million kph? Is it another galaxy? Is it that great attractor?

The reference is the Cosmic Microwave Background.

What do you think of the "Wow!" Signal?

I think it's certainly interesting, but without repeatability it's really hard to say more about it.

What is your favourite type of star?

The Sun. I figure I kinda owe it to him.

Will I ever find my one true love?

No. /r/ForeverAlone

What's your take on dark matter? It makes up most of the universe but we can't see it or even detect it (yet). It seems strange that something so vast can remain hidden.

It is strange, but the universe tends to behave the way it does whether we think it's odd or not. Proof: quantum physics.

All we know right now is there are various observations you can make showing gravity doesn't work the way it should on the scale of galaxies, so right now people are looking for what could cause it. For various reasons right now dark matter is the top theory to explain it.

This is actually about your experience with traveling our own planet. I am planning to leave for southeast Asia for a few months soon, what advice would you give to myself and fellow travelers out there looking to do something similar?

SE Asia is really fun, you'll have a blast!

A few tips off the top of my head: immodium is the best drug mankind has invented, check out the Gibbon Experience if you're heading up to Laos, and don't do anything dumb that you wouldn't do at home (ride a motor scooter without a helmet, accept drugs from strangers, walk home alone on an unfamiliar road at 2am). 99% of things you read going bad happen when people think a holiday from home means a holiday from common sense.

Have fun!

Hi, Is the edge of the universe cold or hot?

There is no edge of the universe, but the average temperature in our universe is 2.73 kelvins. So just a touch above absolute zero- brrr!

What affects did the double X class CME have last week?

I got spectacularly jealous of my friends further north than me who posted marvelous photos of the northern lights.

No really, that was the biggest effect from that flare- some radio bands got super noisy, but I didn't hear of any other effects.

Our cable had been kinda shitty lately. Kinda figured it had to do with this. Am I wrong?

Probably not. Though Reddit tells me the reason for your cable being shitty is Comcast, even if you don't subscribe to Comcast.

What's your favorite bit of trivia about the Universe you like to share with people?

You can see my user-nameskake, the Andromeda Galaxy over 2.5 million light years away, with the naked eye under reasonably dark conditions if you know where to look. Check out this star map and try to find it!

Do you read SciFi and go 'ugh... ridiculous' on every page? I like a bit of hard scifi myself and there are quite a few astronomers/astrophysicists involved in the genre these days. If you do read it what authors/styles do you like? Or, given that youre a student, do you not have the time?

I don't read as much as I used to these days unfortunately- a thesis takes up a lot of time. But I have inhaled a LOT of science fiction- Bradbury and Clarke are my favorites, I keep it classic.

I don't have an issue reading science fiction (I'm more a basket case in astronomical mistakes when watching movies), but I've found it's far harder for me to write about astronomy from a fictional perspective these days. I'm too close to the topic, so I can't suspend my disbelief and "allow" things to help the plot along.

In short, what IS a GRB?

GRB= Gamma Ray Burst= flash of gamma rays. I know, we're very creative with our names.

They are the most energetic thing in the universe, and we see them almost daily from satellites above Earth that see them in faraway galaxies. They are of various durations and a few things can cause them, but most commonly they are caused in specific supernova explosions.

Ok, fire when ready!

PEW PEW PEW

Do you guys keep a running tab of how many stars have been observed by the human race so far? Also, how would astronomers keep track of all of them?

What exactly is a nebula, and do we know how they're formed?

Have we been able to observe any planets that may contain water?

I don't think anyone's keeping strict track, as there's no point when there are billions of them. But we do catalog the stuff we see out there with things such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.

A nebula is a puff of gas in space. There's more than one kind, but the kind you're likely thinking of (where stars form) is just a bunch of hydrogen gas that's been around since the dawn of the universe.

Mars has water, as does Europa and Enceladus. Liquid water on the other hand...

I have a twofer, if you don't mind.

You said a rock is the most likely chance of taking us out, but what about Sun flares?

Have you gotten any signals that suggest life? Even a quick blip of hope?

Solar flares could, sure, but there's no evidence that's happened since humanity's been around, and the question was what did I find most likely in the next 100 years.

Check out the Wow! signal.

Hi is time travel possible? Stephen hawking feels it is what are your views on this?

My issue with time travel is if we could do it where are people from the future? I find it impossible to believe that one teenage prankster wouldn't decide to mess with us!

I am a high school student very interested in astronomy. What is the best way to get started and when did you first know that it was what you wanted to do?

I first decided I wanted to be an astronomer when I was 13 and read a book on the topic. Best way to get started is go find a star chart and learn your constellations- it's that easy!

Also, study hard in math and physics. Seriously.

Which do you think has the most potential for life in our universe: Mars, Europa or Enceladus? and do you support NASA's heavy current focus on Mars?

Sorry it's been busy! I think Mars is currently the focus because NASA knows they can get there to do great science, and get there with a year's turn around, and if they find life there they are set for funding for a little while. It's a very strong science case.

Cool as the other options are, they are very far and speculative so it's not clear just what your return would be.

Do you think one day us casuals will be able to goto space relatively cheap?

I sure hope so! On the bright side there has never been a more optimistic time for an Average Joe to go to space, so my fingers are crossed.

What's the difference between astronomers and astrologers?

I study real stuff.

I just just started my Bachelors in Physics and trying to go on the same route as you :) What caused you to study Anstronomy? And what scares you the most in the Universe?

What scares me most in the universe is my adviser on days when I screwed something up that I should have been able to do. ;-)

I first got into astronomy when reading a book on the topic at age 13- I used to read a lot as a kid, and still do! I love stories and the story of our universe is the biggest story I can think of.

As someone looking to go down a (relatively) similar path to you, thanks for the IamA.

So, questions:

1) Ever do any amateur visual astronomy?

2) How is the employment environment/pay? (feel free to ignore that if it's too personal)

3) How hard is the path? As in, is strong motivation/dedication and a solid base of knowledge enough to succeed?

1) For sure! I had an 8" telescope as a teenager, and know all my constellations and the like. (Maybe a quarter of astronomers can do that.)

2) You won't starve, but you won't be rich either- as a postdoc (ie post PhD) you are looking at $50-80k depending where you look. Pay is a tradeoff though for the lifestyle where you get to do what you love, and no one cares when you work as long as your work gets done.

3) Really hard these days- post PhD about 10% of those who get a doctorate will end up being a traditional professor of astronomy (numbers vary based on who you ask, but the point is it's very competitive). So you need luck in life as well.

Mind, I tend to think of it this way- I get a few years right now where I get to do what I want to do and be paid for it, and most people would kill to ever have that opportunity. So even if I don't find a traditional astronomer's job after this, I will forever be thankful and happy that I've done this!

What's it like studying in the Netherlands? I was just in Amsterdam for a bit, and found the people to be really friendly.

We're there no programs in America that interested you, or was this part of your drive to explore our planet, and experience something new?

Studying in the Netherlands is great because there is a far healthier work/life balance than in the USA- I get 5 weeks holiday a year and if I didn't take it my adviser would get mad at me. I also get paid more, because here I count as a junior civil servant and not a student (though to live in Amsterdam you need more than a stipend for sure!).

There were some interesting programs in the USA, sure, but heading out somewhere new with a new lifestyle was more a bigger draw than anything.

Could you specify how exactly you work with radio signals? What do you look for/what is their value?

I use a telescope in the eastern Netherlands called LOFAR. We take all the signal information off the antennas and use it to make images of the sky at radio frequencies.

What's your favourite ice cream flavour?

Moose tracks. Unfortunately they do not sell it where I currently reside (the Netherlands), so I'm down to eating it maybe once or twice a year. :-(

Can we somehow ship you some?

If you find a way I'm all ears. It's not an issue of imports etc so much as keeping it frozen.

They also don't have peanut butter cups here, so making my own is doubly difficult. :(

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Well there are theoretical astronomers and physicists out there, but that can be a touch tedious and repetitive too at times.

Protip: all jobs will have something in them you don't like. The trick is finding a job where you love all the other stuff enough to put up with the parts you don't like.

If we only see gamma ray burts in far away galaxies how do we know they even still occur? The light from those galaxies is millions of billions of years old, which means it was that long ago. Perhaps the types of stars which exploded to form them no longer exist?

Those stars still exist.

Being an astronomer is like if you were an alien biologist who had one day to wander around a city and figure out the human life cycle- you'd look at how babies are born, how they grow up, and then how they die, but you wouldn't watch one the entire span of one life. That's how astronomers piece together the lives of stars.

Thank you for this Ama! I have so much admiration for what you do. I am about to purchase my first telescope. I would like to dive right in and find a professional, really nice telescope. (Money will not play a role in choosing). Do you have any recommendations?

Hah well I haven't bought one in awhile so maybe /r/Astronomy can help you out more, but I recall Meade builds an amazing product. Check them out!

What are your thoughts on climate change? Is it much more serious than the media would have us believe?

I agree with the AAAS that says climate change is as conclusive a scientific fact as the idea that smoking causes cancer. link

I think there are enough projections out there by people who spend their lives studying these things to be rather serious, yes.

Are you a fan of Neil Tyson?

I think he is an amazing science communicator! I confess though my geek crush will always be Carl Sagan. You never forget your first love. ;-)

Were you inspired to take your current educational path by the book/movie Contact, and would you have taken a ride in "the machine"?

For sure- Contact was my favorite book in high school, and I would be hard pressed to choose another that influenced me more! I was in fact lucky enough to spend a summer at SETI working for Jill Tarter, the Ellie Arroway inspiration, in college- my absolute dream up to that point.

I think I couldn't resist such a ride, but my mom would be a little upset at that decision. ;-)

What was harder, the physics, astronomy, or astrophysics?

I don't know if there's too much difference these days. A bigger difference is theorist versus experimental research. No way I could be a theorist. shudders

As someone aiming for a physics baccalaureate, I just have to ask: How much of your work as an astronomer would you class as "fun" work instead of just plowing through data? And what degree would you consider essential to really get into the field? Is a baccalaureate good enough, or is a doctorate really essential?

A doctorate these days is really essential I would say, with some rare exceptions. Check out the AAS job register for example- with the exception of some telescope operators, virtually all jobs require a PhD.

There is a lot of tedious "my code doesn't work for some inane reason" moments. But there are a lot of really cool moments too, like learning something new about the universe no one else knows, or traveling to faraway places on an observing run. For me these things are worth the tedious parts!

Hey, I started a Astrophysics degree just this week, any advice? Also, reckon you could hook me up with a sweet work placement? I'll buy you a beer! Cheers!

Go to class.

Would you ever sign up for a manned mission to the moon or one of our planets?

I would love to go into space someday! The moon I would totally do, Mars I'd have to think a bit more about. Mainly because it's at least a year to get there, and most likely a one way ticket, so that's quite the lifestyle decision.