Quote:
An article at astronomy.com suggests you study statistics rather than the constellations.
“The majority of astronomers don’t have a clue where the constellations are located in the sky.”
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GrapesOfWrath:
That is correct. Professional astronomers find the coordinates for celestial objects that they wish to study and then direct technicians to find those celestial objects. The technicians must, of course, be extremely accomplished at finding *stuff* and are absolutely necessary for astronomical research. Professional astronomers are studying the properties of the objects found and must know a lot of physics, etc. They study what is necessary for their jobs.
Both kinds of scientists are important to astronomy.
Amateur astronomy is a lot of fun, however, and finding stuff for Messier Marathons and the like is very rewarding. However, the amateur astronomer has little need for Copernican ways of thinking about the Cosmos, because for them, the sky is continuously revolving overhead with the time and with the seasons. Amateur astronomers, in turn, must depend upon the professionals, such as Wil Tirion, to help them find things in the sky, so there is a great similarity involved here, too.
It would be silly to expect professional astronomers to find the celestial objects and waste valuable time in their study. Professional technicians will do that job of finding stuff for them, leaving the professional astronomers free to study stellar, galactic, and cosmological evolution. There are professional jobs out there for excellent finders of celestial objects. The number of such jobs are limited, but the technicians must be very accomplished.
I think that it is a great working arrangement between and among professionals in the field. It is something called *The Division of Labor.*
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