Have you ever worked on a science project with your classmates? It is amazing what you can accomplish when you are part of a team. Look what the astronomers throughout history have found out as they kept building on other scientists' work. You don't have be an actual astronomer to help in the study of outer space. If you want to work in the field of astronomy there are many interesting jobs to consider, including the ones these people do:

• Mathematicians who figure out what kind of stars the astronomers have found.

• Lecturers who talk at observatories and planetariums.

• Engineers who build and maintain all the types of telescopes.

• Technicians who collect, develop, and sort all the pictures taken by the telescopes.

• Computer programmers, geologists, chemists, and probably the job that most people think would be the most fun, astronaut.

It may surprise you to learn that many astronauts have the training to do many of these jobs, before they enter the space program. For fun, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) opened a space camp for kids so they could try out some of the exciting things real astronauts do, like floating around in a room without any gravity. Many astronauts started dreaming about going into space when they were young. With a lot of work and training, dreams can come true!