High School Resources: A Quick Guide
- Kristina Gatto
- Jul 16, 2025
- 4 min read
Academic Resources for High School Students
Are you a high schooler interested in pursuing a career or degree in astronomy or astrophysics? If you answered yes to that, then you’re in the right place! Finding opportunities to get involved in astronomy, especially in high school, is not the easiest, so I put together a quick comprehensive list of study materials, research opportunities, local observatories and planetariums, and much MUCH more that will help you get involved in astro before even stepping foot on a college campus!
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Online Courses/Classes (High Schoolers Eligible to Enroll):
Coursera Astronomy Classes - Coursera has SO many online (and a ton of free) astronomy courses if you’re looking for a self-paced and easy introduction to the topics in astronomy!
Most of these do have a tuition fee unfortunately, however, if you are able to afford it, these introductory courses are excellent for learning the basics of astronomy! While they do look good on a college application, it is by no means a requirement to take any of these, nor will it affect your college application negatively by not taking any!
Research/Internship/STEM Program Opportunities:
MSU Physics of Atomic Nuclei Not directly astro but still physics related!
A lot of these websites haven’t been updated for the summer 2025 sessions yet so check back in a few weeks to see if they’re up to date!
Study Materials and Textbooks:
Cool Online Resources and Projects:
Swarthmore Exoplanet Finder - if you have access to a telescope or local observatory, you can find when exoplanets will be in view!
AstroBites These are quick articles on the latest astro research, it’s always good to stay updated on current research topics!
NASA/ADS you can find pretty much any astro paper and research here
arXiv.org another place you can find any STEM research papers
Coding Resources:
Python Data Analysis and Visualization Course – Astronomical Data (this is literally a full 6 hour course on data science for astronomy)
Boyce Astro This website has a TON of python tutorials related to astronomy
Python for Astronomers (this is a bit more advanced bit if you’re up for a challenge, check out the tutorials!)
As far as coding is concerned, Python tends to be the most used language in astronomy and astrophysics research. If you have the time to start learning the basics and fundamentals of python, you will definitely set yourself up for success when starting an astronomy/astrophysics program in college.
Helpful Guides and Tidbits:
Local Observatories, Planetariums, & Astronomy Clubs:
Attend events at local observatories or planetariums and chat with the hosts/professors, ask about opportunities to get involved! Join local astronomy clubs to get involved with astronomy in your own community!
Scholarships:
Events:
Astronomy Camps:
Bring Astronomy to your High School:
Competitions:
References:
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