[Basic] Skill of the week: Astronomy

[Kraydak]

Originally Posted by Not

I've talked at some length with real life Astronomers, and dabbled a bit in college (not proud of it). My sense is that Radio Astronomy, Observational Astronomy and Cosmology are entirely different disciplines, in that you can excel in one without having any acquaintance with the other two. For example, you can be a radio astronomer of the first rank without ever staying up after dark.

All GURPS science skills would be, in real life, at least one Bang! skill, if not multiple.

In the modern world, the working skill is more realistically Physics (Astrophysics) for all research astronomers (there might be a few emeritus or near-emeritus researchers using Astronomy still, maybe). Astronomy would fall under the purview of amateur astronomers, used by professionals for outreach and teaching (and many have no points in Astronomy).