Royal Astronomical Society

▪ British science society

      British scientific society founded in 1820 to promote astronomical research. Its headquarters are located in Burlington House, near Piccadilly Circus, London, England.

      First named the Astronomical Society of London, it received its royal charter on March 7, 1831. Its founding members included such notable astronomers and mathematicians as Charles Babbage (Babbage, Charles) and John Herschel (Herschel, Sir John, 1st Baronet). The founders' aims included the collection, reduction, and publication of observations and tables, and for this the society's Memoirs began to appear within months of the foundation. For announcements of astronomical news or the more rapid publication of short research papers, the society instituted Monthly Notices in 1827. The founders also intended to reward research, and this the society has done through the award of medals; its Gold Medal is perhaps the highest accolade in the astronomical world. And for astronomers living near London, the society's meetings from the start served to create an identifiable community of astronomers and to enable the latest research to be reported and debated.

      In its earliest years the society campaigned for reform of the Nautical Almanac, and it has continued to comment on national affairs that affect astronomy. It frequently took the initiative in the late 1800s and early 1900s, often in collaboration with the Royal Society, in organizing expeditions to observe solar eclipses. More recently the society's national influence has waned somewhat, as government-sponsored committees have become responsible for allocating resources for research.

      Like all such societies, the RAS was at first closed to women, although Caroline Herschel (Herschel, Caroline Lucretia) was awarded a Gold Medal in 1828 and, with Mary Somerville, was elected an honorary member in 1835. Women were first admitted to fellowship in 1916.

      The RAS includes some 2,700 fellows, junior members, and (foreign) associates; admission is selective and requires significant scientific accomplishment. In its first decades the society counted among its ranks many amateur astronomers, but since the late 19th century the increasing specialization and professionalization of the discipline has worked to erode amateur representation. The regular meetings continue to play an important role in British astronomy, and the specialist meetings perhaps more so. Monthly Notices continues to be a journal of international standing, and since 1922 the society has supported and published journals in the related field of geophysics. It also awards six medals and two prizes in various branches of astronomy and geophysics.

Michael Anthony Hoskin

Additional Reading

The official histories of the Royal Astronomical Society are J.L.E. Dreyer and H.H. Turner (eds.), History of the Royal Astronomical Society 1820–1920 (1923, reprinted 1987); and R.J. Tayler (ed.), History of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 2, 1920–1980 (1987).

* * *