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Resources

On the web, one can find countless resources related to astronomical schools and programs, competitive exams, online courses, and whatnot for undergrad students aspiring to pursue astronomy as a career.

Here, I've tried to compile some useful resources, especially for Indian students, but they can be used by anyone to prepare themselves to pursue astronomy. All the lists are updated regularly. Also, if you have any resource that you would like to share with others, then feel free to submit it using this form: 
https://forms.gle/pU8qqzuUvt5wXkNE9

Page Last Updated: 22nd Jan 2024

Online Courses in Astronomy

Online courses in Astronomy:

  1. Scientific Computing in Astronomy, Krittika Astronomy Club, IITB 

  2. GROWTH Astronomy School 2020, Caltech

  3. ZTF Summer School 2022, Caltech

  4. Summer school and Refresher course in Astronomy & Astrophysics 2020, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA)

  5. Radio Astronomy Winter School 2020, National Centre for Radio Astrophysics - Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (NCRA-TIFR)

  6. GW@Home, LIGO-India & IUCAA

  7. Data-Driven Astronomy, Coursera

  8. Observational Astronomy, Dr. Stuart Littlefair, University of Sheffield

Astronomy in India

Astronomy Schools & Graduate Programs in India:

Till now, there is still no institute in India that offers a bachelor's program in Astronomy or Astrophysics. Therefore, one can opt for a B.Sc. or B.S. in Physics/Mathematics or B.Tech., preferably in Eng. Physics, to strengthen the basic undergraduate Physics and Mathematics which is essential for excelling in A&A later.

Honestly, the specialization/branch of a bachelor's degree doesn't matter much as I have many friends who are not pursuing a Physics degree but are still doing impressive quality research work in A&A. One can attend Astronomy schools and take a project in their Bachelor to nurture their interest and develop their skills for higher studies and research.

Here is the list of colleges in India that offer Graduate programs in Astrophysics:

  1. M.Sc. Astronomy, IIT Indore

  2. Joint SPPU - IUCAA M.Sc. Physics (Physics with Astrophysics) Programme, Pune

  3. M.Sc. Physics with specialization in Astrophysics, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune

  4. M.Sc. Physics (Astrophysics), St. Xaviers College, Mumbai

  5. M.Sc. Astrophysics, Presidency College

  6. Integrated MSc-PhD, TIFR, Mumbai

  7. PhD in Radio Astrophysics, NCRA-TIFR

  8. PhD in Astrophysics, IUCAA

  9. IUCAA-NCRA Graduate School in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Here are some articles & YouTube Videos that you may find beneficial:

  1. How to be an Astronomer, Dr. Thanu Padmanabhan, IUCAA SciPoP

  2. All about Careers in Astronomy! How to become an Astronomer?, Swanim & Parisee Shirke, IUCAA

  3. Careers in Astronomy and Astrophysics [English][Hindi], Prof. Ranjan Gupta, IUCAA

  4. How to Become an Astrophysicist, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson

  5. Careers in Astronomy, Radio Astronomy Winter School, NCRA-TIFR & IUCAA

  6. How To Become an Astrophysicist + Challenge Question!, PBS Space Time

  7. So you want to be a Professional Astronomer!, Duncan Forbes

  8. A New Universe to Discover: A Guide to Careers in Astronomy, The American Astronomical Society

Useful Websites & Articles

Useful Websites & Articles:

  1. Astrobites - briefing research papers for undergrads 

  2. How to make an Astrophysicist - a resourceful website for astronomical resources and opportunities

  3. You and Your Research [Article][YouTube Video], Richard Hamming

  4. Astronomy in Everyday LifeIAU

  5. Why is astronomy important? - Ask a Spaceman!, Paul M. Sutter

  6. Astronomy in our daily lives, Canadian Space Agency

  7. Constellations (suggested by Tina & Stacy Martin)

  8. Sleeping Under Stars & Planets (suggested by Payton & Michelle Bass)

  9. How to send and reply to Email, Matt Might

  10. ArXiv - free distribution service and an open-access archive for Scholarly Articles & Research Papers

  11. NASA/ADS - digital library portal for researchers in Astronomy and Physics 

Grad School Advice
DIY: Personal Website

DIY: Personal Website:

  1. Website with Wix

  2. GitHub Pages with Jekyll

  3. Website with GitHub/Gitlab, Wowchemy

  4. Gitfolio - a website for your GitHub Repos 

  5. Creating a simple and effective academic personal website, Elsevier

  6. Personal Academic Webpages: How-To's and Tips for a Better Site, University of California, Berkeley

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