Summer "Visit" - 2020 - OIRMA

Quotes

• [student:] An astronomer must be patient, curious, and willing to learn. They also must not be afraid to take risks, to embarrass themselves, and to ask questions. They have to be content with sometimes admitting that they made a mistake or were wrong about something, and that it’s okay to not know everything.
• Real astronomy is DATA. It is having to think outside the box to turn the invisible visible by using multiple sets of information from potentially multiple sources. I expected this would be part of the research project but was surprised by the ability to successfully change methods for data collection during the project.
• Working with a highly expert mentor astronomer is crucial. (this is not a surprise, but just got reinforced!) On day 3 it turned out that we had WAY fewer AGN to work with than expected. I was scared that our science was in trouble. Varoujan came back morning of day 4 with an alternate approach to developing a catalog that opened things up again.
• [student:] I did not expect such patient discussions and workflow as part of the research process. Instead, I assumed that we would be put on a structured and inflexible fast-track to results, thinking that to be the most efficient method of results. Instead, the first priority was comprehension and unanimity, no matter how long it took. Looking back, it wasn’t a mistake that we spent the first half of the week learning. That comfort is what prepared us to dive into the workflow and be able to independently process large amounts of data, not rushing.
• [student:] Through technical and scientific issues, it turns out that astronomers (and scientists as a whole) are team players more than soloists. Their goal is on completion rather than competition. Furthermore, astronomy as a field rewards patience and perseverance rather than serendipity.

Related Teams

• OIRMA/Gorjian