As some readers may know, this past summer I had the privilege of being able to work for Dr. Andy Goulding at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Dr. Goulding is a first year Smithsonian Research Fellow in the High Energy Astrophysics division. He did his PhD work in AGN activity at the University of Durham, UK in the fall of 2010 before moving to Boston as a postdoc. Working with him was a wonderful educational experience that I'd happily do over if I had the chance. He gave me a look into the life of a researcher and how much research differs from course work.
We've vaguely kept in touch since September and he generously agreed to answer a few questions on his career for me. Of course, given the title of this blog, the first question was obvious. He took a lot of time in answering these questions, and I definitely learned some new things. For example, I had no idea that there was a difference between a postdoctoral research associate and a fellow.
What is the difference between an astronomer and an astrophysicist at this point in time? Which, if you have a preference, are you?
From a professional point of view, this is really semantics. People have degrees/PhDs in astronomy and/or astrophysics - it depends on institution. However, it is more likely that someone who is an amateur (non-PhD) is considered to be an astronomer. Classically, an astrophysicist attempts to understand and interpret the astronomical observations through application of physics. My PhD is in astrophysics, so in the strictest sense, I am an astrophysicist.
