Choosing a Career: Astrophysicist or Artist?

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I know that you do not know me well (it's apparent that I don't even know me very well) but please give an educated answer based on the information I give you about myself.
I will soon be ending my High School career and am having more an more problems with deciding what the hell to do with my life. Its has come down to two choices: Artist or Astrophysicist.

Pardon what will seem to be bragging on my part: I am a talented artist - I draw and paint an awful lot. I am known in my High School for my artistic abilities, and a teacher even remarked that I may be the best painter in the school. I would, without a doubt, be able to easily get accepted and given a scholarship to go to an art school to study painting. It is most certainly a passion of mine, and I desperately need a scholarship, as I am quite poor.

But! In my free time I study Physics and Astrophysics, downloading college lectures on the subject and reading Steven Hawking's and Carl Sagan's work. I love science Fiction, and Mathematics (Even though I've failed about 3 Math courses during High school). I have even dabbled in the realm of constructing my own Mathematical theories. Since I was a child I would look into the stars and get this extremely eerie feeling, it felt so much like a calling - I think I had this feeling that I would someday dedicate my life to studying space. I also have a high IQ and enjoy philosophy and abstract thoughts.

Yet, I am very torn about whether to pursue Painting as a major or Astrophysics. I can spend hours dedicated to both, and both make me very happy. If I do study Astrophysics, I will still be able to paint and sell paintings, but my work would never be able to be pushed the level that it could be with formal education. If I study painting, I wouldn't be able to pursue a career in Astrophysics, really. I think that if I make good money as an Astrophysicist, I could possibly go back to school and study painting, so I could have both degrees.
Based on all this lengthy (Sorry about that) information, what area of study, in your opinion, would best suit me?

Also, Money is NOT an issue - I do not care which pays better, because I intend on living my life on as little money as possible, because I hate money

I think a quote by Hilbert is applicable here - when a poor student quit studying mathematics in favor of poetry he said "good, he didn't have enough creativity to be a mathematician".

Though I caution you about assuming that you'll be able to get a job in astrophysics. Many people with advanced physics degrees end up doing research in other fields or working in finance. Granted, they generally make good money, and after studying something as rigorous as physics they tend to adapt well to other scientific or mathematical fields, but there really aren't that many jobs in pure physics. Then again, being an artist isn't really a field you'd want to go into for a guaranteed job either. I know you say you don't need much money, but there's no guarantee that you'd be able to support even your basic needs as an artist, even if you are very good.

Perhaps you should do artwork in your spare time, as opposed to as a full career. This way you will have a real job to fall back on rather than just selling paintings.

If you study so that you can become an astrophysicist and get that job then you can continue with your art in your free time and perfect it without the problem of "How much time do I have?" or "How much money will I have to make through painting this week?" bothering you. Even though you don't wish to live on much money you will need some of it, a stable income through astrophysics will help you achieve that simply because you wont have to think about how much money you need to live and how much money your art will earn. You wont associate art with earning and will most likely enjoy it more.

I hope this helped to some extent, picking a future career is difficult.

Get out and experience the art world. See if you want to be part of it. You may do well in art school or university, but will you want to be part of the world it trains you for? Read up about careers of people who study the kind of physics you're interested in. See if that world appeals to you.

I've done some art school and some sciences in university. I noticed there are many choices of subcultures to be part of or not. Try to find a place that draws you toward it meaningfully.

Become an Astro physicist...and do your Art on the weekend. It is very difficult to make a living as an Artist...

As an aspiring art teacher and animator I say artist. I chose art education because I could potentially make a living better than just as a strait up animator/filmaker, knock wood, and it's good to study classical drawing. Maybe you could be an artist that incorporates astrophysics into your work. Many artists use their art to explore other interests. Also there are a lot of good art programs in state schools. Art Schools are usually ridiculously expensive, case in point the Art Institute of Chicago, though Chicago is a great city.

I had exactly the same dilemma when I was 17! I would suggest becoming an astrophysicist on the grounds that it will pay more, take you to more places and art is something that can easily be a hobby.

However, if maths isn't your strong suit (class-room wise), you may want to reconsider. It is possible to be an artist and draw on your interest of stars for your work.

When I was in your shoes, I chose not to do art and whilst sometimes I do regret my choice (medicine), it would never have allowed me to see some of the things i have witnessed. The way I see it, I can always go back and do art as a mature student, but I am unlikely to do a difficult degree when I am older.

Just try to get in a good school first, then explore the subjects that interest you the most and plan ahead on going to grad school. You will need to get in grad school for both, just in case that you don't find a job you can always teach.

Frankly, I'd not hold a lot of hope for either.

Artists are a dime a dozen. Those with real talent have a hard time making a good living at it.

Astrophysicists make good money, but how many openings are there for jobs like that?

I think you should pursue what you'd want most, but have a "fall back" career in the works in case it never happens. Odds are you'll be doing that until you get your big break.

Hello, he said money was not an issue. Man, all you people who want to give him advice based on pecuniary matters...scary.
I feel for the OP because I'm 39 and love both art and science. And college was not what I thought it would be. If you go with science, there are a lot more rigorous side requirements that may fall outside that which draws your pure interest. I love chemistry and cosmology but don't have the patience to sit through all the math requirements.
You're young, so all I can tell you is life is strange and the paths you try to follow sometimes differ substantially from what was advertised. I tried to double major (or major/minor) in science and art and failed miserably not at those things, but at the college experience. Now I'm 39, floundering financially, working on art as much as poverty allows (which is less than optimal), and reading science magazines on occasion.
I like Lazard's advice. Stick to enjoying your strengths, whether inside or outside of formal schooling. Study the day-to-day environments of people whose lives are about astrophysics, and art, and move to what draws you. Ignore these people who are giving advice based on what might pay better. Based on the info you have given I suspect you need to satisfy your soul more than your wallet, although a full wallet (that doesn't consume all your time to fill) makes the other one easier.
Also, small word of warning. I too got the kind of accolades you got (best artist/writer my teachers had seen in a long time) but I was a big fish in a small pond. If you go to a good school you're going to find yourself among people who heard the same thing at their local level. Don't doubt your talents, just remember you're jumping into a pool of exceptionally talented people like yourself.

Paintings and artwork are not only sold as originals but can also sell infinitely through print options/reproductions and distribution and if you have hundreds as I do the potential income is equally infinite. People are always quick to put down the artist and their potential income but it only shows how little they really know. Good artists make great money and there are countless processes and options for reproducing one's artwork.

I have a physics degree and astronomy is a hobby of mine (I give public lectures every now and then at the local library), but I've always made my living as a software programmer. I suggest any science degree but try not to specialize in one thing. You can always do your artwork on the side. There isn't much work for specifically in astronomy, but many similar sciences are always looking for people. I know you may hate money, but you still need to eat... and engineers can usually afford to buy a very nice telescope and camera.

Sorry, but one must consider the money issue.

Live on as little money as possible, good goal, but living can get expensive. It's nice to know you can bring in enough to not sweat about how to pay the bills.

And I'm also presuming he doesn't have the money to pay for his education and will need to take on loans he must repay.

Haha. "She" not "He"

Which one of the two is the thing you want to spoil for yourself?
Pursue that one as a major.

I'm wondering why it's necessary to make this decision right at this moment. Unless you go to a straight-up art school, most colleges make you do a bunch of general requirements, and you don't usually have to declare a major until sophomore year. If I were you, I wouldn't limit myself to just those two things right now.