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Astrobiology, formerly known as exobiology, is a multidisciplinary science that investigates the origins, early evolution, distribution, and future of life in the cosmos. Astrobiology is the study of whether or not alien life exists, and if so, how we can detect it. In this blog, we’ve covered all you need to know about Astrobiology and how to become an Astrobiologist.
This Blog Includes:
What is Astrobiology?
The study of life in the cosmos is known as astrobiology. Understanding life and the nature of the settings that sustain it, as well as, the planetary system, and stellar interactions and processes, is required in the hunt for life beyond Earth. Astrobiology brings together information and techniques from a variety of domains, including astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, atmospheric science, oceanography, and aeronautical engineering, to give this insight. Astrobiologists can work alone on specific scientific problems, but they frequently collaborate with astrobiologists from other scientific disciplines to investigate complicated questions that no one area can address.
Also Read: How to Become an Astronaut?
What is an Astrobiologist?
An astrobiologist is a scientist who investigates the potential of life on other planets. Astrobiologists aim to figure out how life started and how it can thrive in a variety of conditions. This frequently entails the investigation of extreme life right here on Earth. They investigate many planets and moons to discover if life may exist there. Some astrobiologists work on initiatives that hunt for radio signals from intelligent life throughout the Universe, while others look for regions where the most basic forms of life may exist. A biologist who also studies astronomy is known as an astrobiologist.
Also Read: Astrophysics Colleges in India
How To Become an Astrobiologist?
A usual approach for a student interested in pursuing astrobiology graduate study is to specialize in a particular scientific subject. Choose a field that you are truly enthusiastic about and that fascinates you; this discipline will serve as the foundation upon which you will develop your knowledge. As astrobiology is a very multidisciplinary area, it is open to anyone with any scientific background. To pursue a career in astrobiology, you can take any STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) topic.
Skills Required
- Analytical abilities are required for precision throughout research experiments.
- Examining and assessing research work requires critical thinking abilities.
- For research, technical abilities for operating diverse equipment are essential.
- Math abilities needed to execute sophisticated computations on data from research studies
- Flexible in order to obtain an unbiased viewpoint for study.
- Persistent in their pursuit of new knowledge
- Out-of-the-box Thinker who can come up with new research ideas
Astrobiology Courses & Programs
NASA has compiled a list of the best astrobiology courses and programmes:
| Undergraduate Programs | |
| Programs | Offered By |
| Space Sciences Astrobiology | Florida Institute of Technology |
| Astrobiology Minor Program | Pennsylvania State University |
| Certificate Program in Planets and Life | Princeton University |
| Astrobiology Minor | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute |
| Undergraduate Minor in Astrobiology | University of Arizona |
| Graduate Program | |
| Programs | Offered By |
| Astrobiology Focus | Arizona State University |
| Graduate Certificate in Astrobiology | Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Graduate Studies in Astrobiology | Pennsylvania State University |
| Master-PhD course on origin-of-life science and astrobiology | Tokyo Institute of Technology, Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) |
| Graduate Minor in Astrobiology | University of Arizona |
| Graduate Certificate in Astrobiology | University of Colorado |
| Graduate Program in the Biology of Extreme Environments | University of Naples Federico II |
| Astrobiology Dual-Title PhD and Graduate Certificate | University of Washington |
Educational Requirements
You must first earn a bachelor’s degree in science, such as a B.Sc. Most universities offer scientific degrees, and anybody with a science degree can work as an astrobiologist. Students can pursue degrees in biology, chemistry, geology, physics, astronomy, and other subjects that interest them. For more advanced roles in the field, master’s or doctorate degrees are necessary.
Also Read: How To Become A Scientist In ISRO?
Institutes Offering Astrobiology and Astronomy Courses Abroad
The best universities and institutions offering Astrobiology and Astronomy Courses Abroad are listed below.
- Harvard University
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- California Institute of Technology (CalTech)
- Princeton University
- Berkeley
- Arizona State University.
- NASA Astrobiology Institute
- European Astrobiology Institute
- Florida Institute of Technology
- Pennsylvania State University
Institutes Offering Astrobiology and Astronomy Courses in India
The best universities and institutes in India that provide Astrobiology and Astronomy Courses are listed below.
- Indian Astrobiology Research Foundation (IARF), Mumbai
- Amity Center of Excellence in Astrobiology, Amity University
- M. P. Birla Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore
- Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
- Ramana Research Institute, Bangalore
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai
- Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences, Nainital
- Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore
- Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram
- Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune
Also Read: 20 Indian Scientists Who Changed The World
Future Scope of Astrobiology
The first ten years of astrobiology have provided a foundation for understanding the origins and development of life in the cosmos. Fieldwork has yielded fossils, creatures, and ecosystems, all of which have contributed to a greater understanding of the early Earth, probable origin scenarios, and a vast extension of the known environmental constraints of life. Laboratory work, in combination with astronomical observations, has provided yet another important piece to the jigsaw and continues to give hints and develop models. Missions are only now beginning to push astrobiology to new heights of knowledge. Astrobiology will be around for a long time, because of people’s insatiable curiosity about the origins and spread of life.
FAQs
If you want to learn how to become an astrobiologist, here’s how much time you’ll need to devote to schooling before landing your first “official” employment. You’ll need to finish four years of university, five to six years of PhD work, and up to two years of postdoctoral study in a laboratory.
Strong university admissions are incredibly tough, and having a bachelor’s or PhD from one will help you land good employment offers. Only 5% of candidates are accepted into Harvard University’s bachelor’s degree, for example. Then you must enrol in a PhD program, which is similarly competitive. Finally, you must compete with the top of the best from across the world to become a researcher or professor.
A license isn’t required, but you will need academic credentials, such as a PhD in a science-related discipline.
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