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The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) is a learned society
Learned society

A learned society is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline or group of disciplines. Membership may be open to all, may require possession of some qualification, or may be an honor conferred by election, as is the case with the oldest learned societies, such as the Poland Sodalitas Litterarum Vistulana , the Italian Acc...
 that began as the Astronomical Society of London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
 in 1820 to support astronomical
Astronomy

Astronomy is the science of Astronomical object and Phenomenon that originate outside the Earth's atmosphere . It is concerned with the evolution, physics, chemistry, meteorology, and motion of celestial objects, as well as the physical cosmology....
 research (mainly carried on at the time by 'gentleman astronomers
Gentleman scientist

A gentleman scientist is a private income scientist who pursues scientific study as a hobby. The term arose in post-Renaissance Europe but became less common in the 20th century as government funding increased....
' rather than professionals). It became the Royal Astronomical Society in 1831 on receiving its Royal Charter
Royal Charter

A royal charter is a charter granted by a Monarch to create institutions or other forms of incorporated bodies . In the United Kingdom legal tradition a royal charter is in the form of letters patent....
 from William IV
William IV of the United Kingdom

William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Kingdom of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death. William, the third son of George III of the United Kingdom and younger brother and successor to George IV of the United Kingdom, was the last king and penultimate monarch of the House of Hanover....
. A Supplemental Charter in 1915 opened up the fellowship to women. It is the UK adhering organisation to the International Astronomical Union
International Astronomical Union

The International Astronomical Union is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy....
 and a member of the Science Council
Science Council

The was established by Royal Charter in 2003. The principal activity of The Science Council is the promotion of the advancement and dissemination of knowledge of and education in science pure and applied, for the public benefit....
, and encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science.






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The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) is a learned society
Learned society

A learned society is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline or group of disciplines. Membership may be open to all, may require possession of some qualification, or may be an honor conferred by election, as is the case with the oldest learned societies, such as the Poland Sodalitas Litterarum Vistulana , the Italian Acc...
 that began as the Astronomical Society of London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
 in 1820 to support astronomical
Astronomy

Astronomy is the science of Astronomical object and Phenomenon that originate outside the Earth's atmosphere . It is concerned with the evolution, physics, chemistry, meteorology, and motion of celestial objects, as well as the physical cosmology....
 research (mainly carried on at the time by 'gentleman astronomers
Gentleman scientist

A gentleman scientist is a private income scientist who pursues scientific study as a hobby. The term arose in post-Renaissance Europe but became less common in the 20th century as government funding increased....
' rather than professionals). It became the Royal Astronomical Society in 1831 on receiving its Royal Charter
Royal Charter

A royal charter is a charter granted by a Monarch to create institutions or other forms of incorporated bodies . In the United Kingdom legal tradition a royal charter is in the form of letters patent....
 from William IV
William IV of the United Kingdom

William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Kingdom of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death. William, the third son of George III of the United Kingdom and younger brother and successor to George IV of the United Kingdom, was the last king and penultimate monarch of the House of Hanover....
. A Supplemental Charter in 1915 opened up the fellowship to women. It is the UK adhering organisation to the International Astronomical Union
International Astronomical Union

The International Astronomical Union is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy....
 and a member of the Science Council
Science Council

The was established by Royal Charter in 2003. The principal activity of The Science Council is the promotion of the advancement and dissemination of knowledge of and education in science pure and applied, for the public benefit....
, and encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. Meetings are held in Burlington House
Burlington House

Burlington House is a building on Piccadilly in London. It was originally a private Palladian architecture mansion, and was expanded in the mid 19th century after being purchased by the British government....
, in Piccadilly
Piccadilly

Piccadilly is a major London street, running from Hyde Park Corner in the west to Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is completely within the city of Westminster....
, London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
 and across the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
. They are also involved in the production of astronomical journals and periodicals. The Society has over 3000 members, around a third of whom live outside the United Kingdom.

Publications


One of the major activities of the RAS is publishing refereed journals. It currently publishes two world-leading primary research journals, MNRAS in astronomy and (in association with the Deutsche Geophysikalische Gesellschaft
German Geophysical Society

The German Geophysical Society is a society for geophysics in Germany; it was founded in 1922 in Leipzig, Germany on the initiative of the great seismologist Emil Wiechert, as the Deutsche Seismologische Gesellschaft but changed its name into the current one in 1924....
) GeoJI in geophysics, and A&G, which publishes review and other articles of wide interest in a 'glossy' format. The full list of journals published (both currently and historically) by the RAS, with abbreviations as used for the NASA
NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an agency of the Federal government of the United States, responsible for the nation's public list of space agencies....
 ADS bibliographic codes is:

  • Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society (MmRAS): 1822 – 1978
  • Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
    Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

    Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society is one of the world's leading scientific journals in astronomy and astrophysics. It has been in continuous existence since 1827 and publishes peer review letters and papers reporting original research in relevant fields....
     (MNRAS): Since 1827
  • Geophysical Supplement to Monthly Notices (MNRAS): 1922 – 1957
  • Geophysical Journal (GeoJ): 1958 – 1988
  • Geophysical Journal International (GeoJI): Since 1989 (volume numbering continues from GeoJ)
  • Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society (QJRAS): 1960 – 1996
  • Astronomy & Geophysics (A&G): Since 1997 (volume numbering continues from QJRAS)


Fellowship


Members of the RAS are styled fellows, and may use the postnominals FRAS. Fellowship is open to anyone over the age of 18 who is considered acceptable to the society. As a result of the society's foundation in a time before there were many professional astronomers, no formal qualifications are required. However, around three quarters of fellows are professional astronomers or geophysicists. The society acts as the professional body
Professional body

A professional association is a non-profit organization seeking to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals engaged in that profession, and the public interest....
 for astronomers and geophysicists in the UK and fellows may apply for the Science Council's
Science Council

The was established by Royal Charter in 2003. The principal activity of The Science Council is the promotion of the advancement and dissemination of knowledge of and education in science pure and applied, for the public benefit....
 Chartered Scientist
Chartered scientist

Chartered Scientist is a professional certification in the United Kingdom that is awarded by the Science Council through its Licensed member organisations....
 status through the society. The fellowship passed 3,000 for the first time during 2003.

Meetings


The Society regularly organises monthly discussion meetings on topics in astronomy and geophysics, which are usually held in London on the second Friday of every month from September through to June. (Reports of the meetings appear in The Observatory
The Observatory (astronomy)

The Observatory is a publication, variously described as a journal, a magazine and a review, devoted to astronomy. It has appeared regularly since 1877, and is currently published every two months....
.) It also sponsors the RAS National Astronomy Meeting, a lengthier meeting of professional astronomers held each spring, and occasionally meetings in other parts of the UK.

Library

The Royal Astronomical Society has a more comprehensive collection of books and journals in astronomy and geophysics than the libraries of most universities and research institutions. The library receives some 300 current periodicals in astronomy and geophysics and contains more than 10,000 books from popular level to conference proceedings. Its collection of astronomical rare books is second only to that of the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh in the UK. The RAS library is a major resource not just for the Society but also the wider community of astronomers, geophysicists, and historians.

Education


The society is also involved in promoting astronomy to members of the general public through their various outreach pages for students, teachers, the public and media researchers. The RAS has an advisory role in relation to United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 public examinations, such as GCSEs and A Levels

Associated Groups


The RAS sponsors a number of topical groups, many of them in interdisciplinary areas where the group is jointly sponsored by another learned society or professional body:

  • The Astrobiology Society of Britain
  • The Astroparticle Physics Group (with the Institute of Physics
    Institute of Physics

    The Institute of Physics is a scientific charity devoted to increasing the practice, understanding and application of physics and is the UK and Ireland's main British professional bodies for physicists....
    )
  • The Astrophysical Chemistry Group (with the Royal Society of Chemistry
    Royal Society of Chemistry

    The Royal Society of Chemistry is a learned society in the United Kingdom with the goal of "advancing the chemistry sciences." The organisation carries out research, publishes journals, books and databases, as well as hosting conferences, seminars and workshops....
    )
  • The British Geophysical Association
    British Geophysical Association

    The British Geophysical Association is a joint association of the Royal Astronomical Society and the Geological Society of London, which advances the interests of geophysics and geophysicists within the UK....
     (with the Geological Society of London
    Geological Society of London

    The Geological Society of London is a learned society based in the United Kingdom with the aim of "investigating the mineral structure of the Earth"....
    )
  • The Magnetosphere Ionosphere and Solar-Terrestrial group (generally known by the acronym MIST)
  • The UK Planetary Forum
  • The UK Solar Physics group


Presidents


The first person to hold the title of President of the Royal Astronomical Society was William Herschel
William Herschel

Sir Frederick William Herschel, Fellow of the Royal Society Royal Guelphic Order was a German-born British astronomer and composer who became famous for discovering Uranus....
, though he never chaired a meeting, and since then the post has been held by many distinguished astronomers. The post is currently offered for a period of two years.

Recent Presidents:

  • 1992 Martin Rees
  • 1994 Carole Jordan
    Carole Jordan

    Dame Carole Jordan, Order of the British Empire, Royal Society, Institute of Physics, was the first ever female president of the Royal Astronomical Society....
  • 1996 Malcolm Longair
    Malcolm Longair

    Malcolm Sim Longair FRS is a British physicist. He was the Jacksonian Professor of Natural Philosophy in the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge University, England from 1991 to 2008....
  • 1998 David Williams
  • 2000 Nigel Weiss
    Nigel Weiss

    Nigel Oscar Weiss is an astronomer and mathematician, and leader in the field of astrophysical and geophysical fluid dynamics.Educated at Clare College, Cambridge, he discovered the process of 'flux expulsion' by which a conducting fluid undergoing rotating motion acts to expel the magnetic flux from the region of motion, a process now kno...
  • 2002 Jocelyn Bell Burnell
    Jocelyn Bell Burnell

    Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Dame of the British Empire, Fellow of the Royal Society, Royal Astronomical Society is a British astrophysics who, as a postgraduate student, discovered the first radio pulsars with her thesis advisor Antony Hewish, for which he won a Nobel Prize....
  • 2004 Kathryn Whaler
  • 2006 Michael Rowan-Robinson
    Michael Rowan-Robinson

    Michael Rowan-Robinson is an astronomer and astrophysicist. He was educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge and is Professor of Astrophysics and until May 2007 was Head of the Astrophysics Group at Imperial College London....
  • 2008 Andrew Fabian
    Andrew Fabian

    Andrew Christopher Fabian, OBE, Fellow of the Royal Society is a United Kingdom astronomer and astrophysicist. He is a Royal Society Research Professor at the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, Cambridge University, and Vice-Master of Darwin College, Cambridge....


Notable former Presidents:

Medals


The highest award of the Royal Astronomical Society is its Gold Medal
Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society

The Gold Medal is the highest award of the Royal Astronomical Society....
. Among the recipients best known to the general public are Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was a Germany-born theoretical physics. He is best known for his theory of relativity and specifically mass?energy equivalence, expressed by the equation E = mc2....
 in 1926, and Stephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking

Stephen William Hawking Companion of Honour, Commander of the British Empire, Fellow of the Royal Society, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Doctor of Philosophy is a British Theoretical physics....
 in 1985.

Other awards include the Eddington Medal
Eddington Medal

The Eddington Medal, named after Arthur Stanley Eddington, is awarded by the Royal Astronomical Society nominally once every two years for investigations of outstanding merit in theoretical astrophysics....
, the Herschel Medal
Herschel Medal

The Herschel Medal is a medal of the Royal Astronomical Society....
, the Chapman Medal
Chapman Medal

The Chapman Medal is a medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, named in honor of British astronomer Sydney Chapman . It is awarded every other year, for investigations of outstanding merit in solar-terrestrial physics, including geomagnetism and aeronomy....
, the Price Medal
Price Medal

Price Medal is a medal of the Royal Astronomical Society. It is now awarded every other year for investigations of outstanding merit in solid-earth geophysics, oceanography, or planetary sciences....
 and the Jackson-Gwilt Medal
Jackson-Gwilt Medal

The Jackson-Gwilt Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society has been awarded regularly since 1897 for the invention, improvement, or development of astronomical instrumentation or techniques; for achievement in observational astronomy; or for achievement in research into the history of astronomy....
. Lectureships include the Harold Jeffreys Lectureship in geophysics
Geophysics

Geophysics, a major discipline of the Earth sciences, is the study of the Earth by the quantitative observation of its physical properties, especially by Seismology, Electromagnetism, Radioactive decay, galvanic and potential field methods....
, the George Darwin Lectureship in astronomy
Astronomy

Astronomy is the science of Astronomical object and Phenomenon that originate outside the Earth's atmosphere . It is concerned with the evolution, physics, chemistry, meteorology, and motion of celestial objects, as well as the physical cosmology....
, and the Gerald Whitrow Lectureship in cosmology
Physical cosmology

Physical cosmology, as a branch of astronomy, is the study of the largest-scale structures and dynamics of our universe and is concerned with fundamental questions about its formation and evolution....
.

Other activities


The Society occupies premises at Burlington House
Burlington House

Burlington House is a building on Piccadilly in London. It was originally a private Palladian architecture mansion, and was expanded in the mid 19th century after being purchased by the British government....
, London, where a substantial library and meeting rooms are available to fellows and, by arrangement, other interested parties. The Society represents the interests of astronomy and geophysics to UK national and regional, and European government and related bodies, and maintains a press office, through which it keeps the media and the public at large informed of relevant developments in these sciences. The society also allocates grants to worthy causes in astronomy and geophysics, and assists in the management of the Paneth Trust

See also

  • Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society
    Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society

    The Gold Medal is the highest award of the Royal Astronomical Society....
  • Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
    Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

    Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society is one of the world's leading scientific journals in astronomy and astrophysics. It has been in continuous existence since 1827 and publishes peer review letters and papers reporting original research in relevant fields....


External links