How Do I Become an Astronomer?
February 26, 2021, via Zoom webinar The program: Are you a student fascinated by space and would love to explore the universe? Dr. Robert Zellem, an exoplanet astronomer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, discusses his career path and answers students' questions about becoming an astronomer. The speaker: Dr. Rob Zellem is an exoplanet astronomer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory working on ground- and space-based observations of the atmospheres of exoplanets (planets outside of our solar system). His job entails working on ground-based observing of transiting exoplanets, using telescopes to observe the atmospheres of these other worlds: the Palomar 200-inch telescope in San Diego County, NASA’s IRTF at Mauna Kea in Hawaii, the University of Arizona’s 61-inch Kuiper Telescope near Tucson, and the Mayall 4-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak in Arizona. He is also the Project Lead of Exoplanet Watch, a citizen science project that will aid in the characterization of exoplanets. Dr. Zellem earned a BS in astronomy and astrophysics, with a minor in physics, mathematics, and classic, from Villanova University; an MSc in space science from University College London; and a PhD in planetary sciences from the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona.
