Solar Week - Ask a Question

During solar week you can post questions here for our scientists to answer.
   You do not need to register or sign in to post questions,
   just click on one of the forums below and click "Write a New Post".

   You may want to Meet the scientists who will be answering your questions.
   Check out our new blog and FAQs.
in

Career

Last post 03-07-2006 10:49 AM by Laura Peticolas. 2 replies.
Page 1 of 1 (3 items)
Sort Posts: Previous Next
  • 03-07-2006 9:29 AM

    Career

    From, LeAnn S,

    Do you do any traveling involving your work?
  • 03-07-2006 9:53 AM In reply to

    Re: Career

    Hi LeAnn,

    One of the things I like most about being a scientist is that I get to travel for my job. I have been to scientific meetings in a number of places in the U.S., including Santa Fe, New Mexico, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, California.  I have also attended meetings around the world, in places like Japan, the United Kingdom, and France.  I even went to a scientific conference held in Finnish Lapland, which is above the arctic circle. Not many people can say that they have been there!

    Sometimes space scientists also travel to work on their research.  While I was in graduate school, I had the opportunity to travel to Fairbanks, Alaska, where the ground station that received data from the Fast Auroral Snapshot (FAST) satellite was located. We were able to watch the aurora, and examine the data recorded by the satellite in real-time, as the data were transmitted to the ground station and recorded for further analysis. It was quite interesting to see the big satellite dish and other equipment used to receive transmissions from the satellite. We had our own "mission control" where we could send commands to the satellite and talk to the NASA engineers over an intercom. 

    I also know scientists who have launched sounding rockets to study the aurora borealis from Alaska and Canada, and scientists who participate in laboratory plasma experiments in California, even though they live in the Midwest.  Travel can be a big part of a scientist's job!

    Kris 

  • 03-07-2006 10:49 AM In reply to

    Re: Career

    Hi LeAnn,

    I agree 100% with Kris.  Traveling is a huge benefit of our jobs as scientists.  We do not get paid as well as dentists, doctors, lawyers, or computer programmers, but our jobs allow us to travel the world, interact with people from many different countries, and allow for a lot of flexibility in terms of when and how we work. 

    Laura

     

Page 1 of 1 (3 items)

Theme design is SolarWeek by Igor Ruderman based on
Theme Mira 2007 by Chris Lotter.

Powered by Community Server (Commercial Edition), by Telligent Systems