Summer "Visit" - 2020 - Spider Team

Quotes

• [student:] The whole process felt like we were doing some real science. We were looking at real stars, collected by real telescopes, and sorted out and categorized the stars. We made SEDs and color-color diagrams of the stars for our research. It was definitely real astronomy.
• Astronomers have to be solid on the fundamentals of scientific theory and mathematical analysis. They must be curious about how we came to conclude that which we claim to know, and about what lies beyond the predicted patterns formed by theories. Astronomers must be clear, concise, and complete in communicating the why, what and how or what they are doing as it the collective that must be able to interpret, integrate and challenge their process and conclusions before new knowledge is accepted as true. This means that persistence is also a key quality of any scientist.
• [student:] I thought that astronomy was organized and well-ordered, but I have come to realize that it is all over the place which isn't at all a bad thing. It's a process of many open windows, many double checks, and many minor mistakes but it always seems to work out for the best.
• [student:] I think that as an astronomer it’s incredibly important to be patient, determined, and persevering. The results take time to get, so you have to be patient and you have to keep your goals in mind.
• [student:] Important qualities of an astronomer include willingness to be a team player because it is important to collaborate with others as well as present your findings to other people, willpower because it is difficult to get past some humps and bumps in astronomy but it's always important to stay straight ahead, and most importantly, the ability to accept your stupidity, there is always going to be an "I am crap" phase but it's important for that to happen so that you can ask questions and grow from that phase.

Related Teams

• Spider/Rebull