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A typical day

Far less stargazing than you would think. Most days are spent at a computer writing code, cleaning data that came off a telescope months ago, and running models. Add a group meeting, a seminar, teaching or supervising students, and long stretches of writing: papers, and proposals asking for telescope time or grant money. Observing runs happen a handful of nights a year, and even those are often done remotely or by a technician who sends you the files.