Rogério
Monteiro-Oliveira, Ph.D.
Building a career in Extragalactic Astrophysics
Last updated on April 27th, 2025.
Have you ever wondered what lies beyond the stars we see at night? Extragalactic astrophysics explores galaxies, clusters, and the largest cosmic structures that define our Universe. This field combines deep physical understanding, advanced technology, and a spirit of discovery to tackle some of the most profound questions in science — from the nature of dark matter to the evolution of the cosmic web. Whether you dream of using the world's most powerful telescopes or running cutting-edge simulations, this page will guide you through the essential steps to turn your passion into a thriving career.
Essential Academic Background
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Physics and Mathematics: Core subjects you need strong foundations in.
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Astronomy Courses: Optional at the undergraduate level but highly recommended. A bachelor's degree is not mandatory.
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Proficiency in Python, R, or other relevant languages.
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Basic statistical knowledge is a must — the more advanced your skills, the better.
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Basic knowledge of Machine Learning is desirable, as it is becoming increasingly critical for data-intensive research with the growing prevalence of large datasets.
A Survival Toolkit for Extragalactic Astrophysicists
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Resources for the ambitious undergraduate or beginning graduate researcher in Astrophysics: Compiled by Prof. Chris Matzner (University of Toronto)
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arXiv (astro-ph): an open-access repository where researchers in astrophysics share preprints of their scientific papers before formal peer review.
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ADS/NASA: a digital library that provides access to a vast collection of research papers, abstracts, and citations in astronomy, astrophysics, and related fields.
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NED (NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database): an online resource that compiles and organizes data on extragalactic objects, integrating observations from across the literature to support research in astronomy.
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Ned Wright's Javascript Cosmology Calculator: an online tool that computes key cosmological quantities.
Observing / retrieving data
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Object visibility: a web-based tool developed by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) that assists astronomers in planning observations by providing visualizations of the visibility of celestial objects.
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NOIRLab Astro Data Lab: is an open-access platform providing advanced tools for exploring and analyzing extensive astronomical datasets, supporting research across multiple wavelengths from various NOIRLab facilities.
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SMOKA: an open-access astronomical data archive operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ).