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There is a website many schools will use to show their students job descriptions to give them inspiration and know what they wish to be when they grow up, show them some options, you know?

Well, I was looking at the importance of skills section for Astronomers, and they had:

100% Mathematics 
98% Physics 
... etcetera.

This got me thinking about how important it is, being that they have the word "Physics" in the title of "Astrophysics". Anyway, eventually I thought "well, you have to get a bachelor's in physics to be considered a physicist, and you pretty much have to take a master's in physics to get close to an Astronomer, so are all Astronomers, technically able to be called Physicists too?"

Please let me know, because it would be kind of funny (in my opinion), to be able to look at a really, really helpful scientist, and while ignoring their actual title say, "Physicist all the way!".

I'd like to mention, I would never actually call them this, without knowing them personally. It is degenerate. I ask purely out of curiosity, since I've seen no reason for it to not technically be correct.

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    $\begingroup$ Some schools offer undergraduate degrees in Astronomy. See for instance artsci.calendar.utoronto.ca/section/Astronomy-and-Astrophysics $\endgroup$
    – ZeroTheHero
    Commented Sep 16, 2022 at 1:02
  • $\begingroup$ I’m voting to close this question because it's about education rather than physics. $\endgroup$
    – Qmechanic ♦
    Commented Sep 16, 2022 at 2:51
  • $\begingroup$ Isn't this whole site about educating others about physics? I added "soft-question" to state that my question was less about physics but still relating. $\endgroup$
    – Jkt
    Commented Sep 16, 2022 at 2:56
  • $\begingroup$ Since the question is closed I'll give an answer in comments. Modern astronomy is virtually all astrophysics, so yes, modern astronomers are also physicists. The one exception is the developing field of astrobiology - but even that is an interdisciplinary field that requires knowledge of physics. $\endgroup$
    – Allure
    Commented Sep 16, 2022 at 4:30
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    $\begingroup$ This is like asking whether all physicists are technically mathematicians, because mathematics is used in physics. $\endgroup$
    – Ghoster
    Commented Sep 16, 2022 at 5:54

1 Answer 1

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An astronomer is someone who primarily collects astronomical data, which is then grist for the astrophysicist's mill. This does not preclude astronomers from being physicists, it just recognizes the fact that astronomy is a subfield of physics in general.

Note also that astronomers can also be specialists in the design and deployment of the tools of astronomy (space satellites, ground installations, etc.).

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  • $\begingroup$ "This does not preclude astronomers from being physicists", all I needed thank you! I'm sorry, that was rude, I formerly apologize through this comment. I just wanted to know if it was technically true so I can joke about it when I am one (hopefully someday). $\endgroup$
    – Jkt
    Commented Sep 16, 2022 at 2:49

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