20 January 2021 / Learning the Star Knowledge of First Australians Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people use their understanding of the night sky for a range of reasons. By Peter Reeve and Duane Hamacher. What comes to mind when you think of an “astronomer”? Perhaps a scientist peering through a telescope, contemplating the origins of the Universe? Unfortunately, this is rarely the case. These days, a vast majority of professional astronomers spend their time behind computers instead. Modern telescopes are computer-controlled and hooked up to an array of high-precision instruments used to record vast quantities of high-precision data, far beyond the capabilities of the human eye. Astronomy is an exciting job, but only about 10,000 people work as professional astronomers today.