How do I become a meteorite scientist?
Keep asking questions, enjoy science and maths at school, and later study subjects like geology, chemistry, physics or planetary science at university.
Scientists who study meteorites are called meteoriticists, or planetary scientists. It is a brilliant job, mixing rocks, space, chemistry and detective work. Here is how you could become one.
Start now by being curious. Read books, visit museums, watch meteor showers, collect ordinary rocks and learn their names. Ask questions and look for answers. Join an astronomy club or a geology group for young people if there is one near you.
At school, science and maths are the key subjects. Later, choosing subjects such as chemistry, physics, biology, geography or geology will help. At university, many meteorite scientists study geology, earth sciences, chemistry, physics or astronomy. Some universities offer courses in planetary science, which combines them.
After a first degree, most researchers do a PhD, which means spending three or four years working on a research project, perhaps studying a particular kind of meteorite, using microscopes and instruments. After that, they might work in a university, a museum, a space agency or a laboratory.
Meteorite scientists come from all backgrounds and all over the world. Some started as curious children who found a strange rock. Who knows? One day you might name a new mineral or help study rocks brought back from Mars.