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:
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Scientific Computing in Astronomy, Krittika Astronomy Club, IITB
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GROWTH Astronomy School 2020, Caltech
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ZTF Summer School 2022, Caltech
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Summer school and Refresher course in Astronomy & Astrophysics 2020, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA)
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Radio Astronomy Winter School 2020, National Centre for Radio Astrophysics - Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (NCRA-TIFR)
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GW@Home, LIGO-India & IUCAA
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Data-Driven Astronomy, Coursera
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Observational Astronomy, Dr. Stuart Littlefair, University of Sheffield
Scientific Python & Astronomy:
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Python Programming And Numerical Methods: A Guide For Engineers And Scientists, UC Berkeley
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A Beginner’s Guide to Working with Astronomical Data, Markus Pössel, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
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3D Scientific Visualization with Blender, Brian R. Kent
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A Simple Guide to Beautiful Visualizations in Python, Frank Andrade
Useful YouTube videos & channels:
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3Blue1Brown - Concepts of Mathematics visualized at its best!
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Constellations | Seeker, Sarafina Nance, UCB
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A Stellar History of Modern Astronomy, Emily Levesque, University of Washington
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Daily Life of an Astrophysicist, Dr. Becky, Oxford University
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Life of an IUCAA Astrophysics Research Scholar, Parisee Shirke, IUCAA
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A day in the life of an Astronomer, South African Astronomical Observatory
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Be An Astrophysicist, Colleen Hoon, ANU
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:
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M.Sc. Astronomy, IIT Indore
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Joint SPPU - IUCAA M.Sc. Physics (Physics with Astrophysics) Programme, Pune
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M.Sc. Physics with specialization in Astrophysics, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune
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M.Sc. Physics (Astrophysics), St. Xaviers College, Mumbai
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M.Sc. Astrophysics, Presidency College
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Integrated MSc-PhD, TIFR, Mumbai
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PhD in Radio Astrophysics, NCRA-TIFR
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PhD in Astrophysics, IUCAA
Here are some articles & YouTube Videos that you may find beneficial:
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How to be an Astronomer, Dr. Thanu Padmanabhan, IUCAA SciPoP
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All about Careers in Astronomy! How to become an Astronomer?, Swanim & Parisee Shirke, IUCAA
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Careers in Astronomy and Astrophysics [English][Hindi], Prof. Ranjan Gupta, IUCAA
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How to Become an Astrophysicist, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson
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Careers in Astronomy, Radio Astronomy Winter School, NCRA-TIFR & IUCAA
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How To Become an Astrophysicist + Challenge Question!, PBS Space Time
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So you want to be a Professional Astronomer!, Duncan Forbes
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A New Universe to Discover: A Guide to Careers in Astronomy, The American Astronomical Society
Useful Websites & Articles:
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Astrobites - briefing research papers for undergrads
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How to make an Astrophysicist - a resourceful website for astronomical resources and opportunities
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You and Your Research [Article][YouTube Video], Richard Hamming
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Why is astronomy important? - Ask a Spaceman!, Paul M. Sutter
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Astronomy in our daily lives, Canadian Space Agency
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Constellations (suggested by Tina & Stacy Martin)
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Sleeping Under Stars & Planets (suggested by Payton & Michelle Bass)
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How to send and reply to Email, Matt Might
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ArXiv - free distribution service and an open-access archive for Scholarly Articles & Research Papers
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NASA/ADS - digital library portal for researchers in Astronomy and Physics
Graduate School Advice and Admissions:
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The illustrated guide to a Ph.D., Matt Might, University of Utah
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Questions to Ask as a Prospective Graduate Student, Ryan Rubenzahl, Caltech
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Ph.D. Admission Series, Lilian Horin, Harvard
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Ph.D. Guide, Astrophysics Girl
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Honest advice for the Astronomy grad school application process
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Tips for Applying to Graduate School in Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin
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Guide to Graduate School, Astrobites
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Funded Masters Programmes, Astrophysics Girl
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All about PhD applications, Lucy Lai
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Statement of Purpose for Graduate School, MIT MechE Comm Lab
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Another Annotated Example: CS PhD Statement of Purpose, Eugenie Y. Lai
DIY: Personal Website:
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Website with Wix
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Gitfolio - a website for your GitHub Repos
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Creating a simple and effective academic personal website, Elsevier
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Personal Academic Webpages: How-To's and Tips for a Better Site, University of California, Berkeley