Science Intern

Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy • Tucson, AZ

22h • Onsite

About The Position

The science intern will carry out cutting-edge research on cold brown dwarfs. The intern will assist in the reduction, analysis, and interpretation of recently acquired data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

Requirements

• Enrolled in a bachelor’s program in a relevant field, or have a recent Bachelor's (or higher) degree in relevant field (astronomy, computer science)
• Studying toward or recent recipient of a university degree in astronomy, physics, computer science, data science, or a related technical field.
• Background knowledge of astronomy and physics: stars, planets, brown dwarfs, mechanics, and optics.
• Basic coding/scripting (for example in Python and/or bash) to automate analysis/transfer of data sets and make scientific plots/visualizations.
• Must possess good English communication skills (written and verbal).
• Self-motivated, ability to work with minimal supervision.

Nice To Haves

• Prior astronomy research experience.
• Python scripting for data analysis (e.g., Astropy, NumPy, Pandas).
• Prior experience working with infrared astronomical data or space telescope data (e.g., JWST, HST, Spitzer, WISE).
• Familiarity with photometric and/or spectroscopic data reduction techniques.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with NOIRLab Astronomer to reduce and analyze JWST infrared imaging and/or spectroscopy of cold brown dwarfs.
• Utilize astronomical software and Python-based pipelines to process and extract scientific measurements from JWST datasets.
• Assist with early analysis of the spectral and photometric properties of these extremely cool, substellar objects.
• Help prepare figures, documentation and results for scientific presentations and publications.
• All AURA employees are responsible for the proper management and control of all AURA property within their work area, whether assigned to them or someone else. This responsibility includes reporting any known missing, stolen, or non-working property in their work area to their supervisor or the AURA Property Officer.
• Responsible for ensuring compliance with government award terms and conditions assigned to this position or subordinates of this position as defined in the Vela Award Management system.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: Associate degree