President of the Royal Astronomical Society

The President of the Royal Astronomical Society (prior to 1831 known as President of the Astronomical Society of London) chairs the Council of the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) and its formal meetings. They also liaise with government organisations (including the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the UK Research Councils), similar societies in other countries, and the International Astronomical Union on behalf of the UK astronomy and geophysics communities. Future presidents serve one year as President Elect before succeeding the previous president.[1]

President of the Royal Astronomical Society
Incumbent
Mike Edmunds
since 2022
Royal Astronomical Society
Member ofRAS Council
AppointerElected by the Fellows of the RAS
Term lengthTwo years
PrecursorPresident of the Astronomical Society of London
Formation1820
First holderSir William Herschel
Websitewww.ras.org.uk/about-the-ras/council

The first president was William Herschel in 1821,[2] though he never chaired a meeting. Since then the post has been held by many distinguished astronomers. The post has generally had a term of office of two years, but some holders resigned after one year e.g. due to poor health. Francis Baily and George Airy were elected a record of four times each. Airy was additionally appointed by Council for a partial term, so served as President a total of five times, more than anyone else. Since 1876 no-one has served for more than two years in total.

Presidents
No.ImageNameStart yearEnd yearNoteReference
1William Herschel18211823[2][3]
2Henry Thomas Colebrooke18231825[2][3]
3(a)Francis Baily18251827First term[2][3]
4(a)John Herschel18271829First term[2][3]
5James South18291831[2][3]
6John Brinkley18311833[2][3]
3(b)Francis Baily18331835Second term[2][3]
7(a)George Airy18351837First term[2][3]
3(c)Francis Baily18371839Third term[2][3]
4(b)John Herschel18391841Second term[2][3]
8John Wrottesley18411843[2][3]
3(d)Francis Baily18431844Fourth term, died in office[2][3][4]
7(b)George Airy18441845Second term, appointed by RAS Council to fill the vacancy left by Baily's death[4]
9William Henry Smyth18451847[2][3]
4(c)John Herschel18471849Third term[2][3]
7(c)George Airy18491851Third term[2][3]
10(a)John Couch Adams18511853First term[2][3]
7(d)George Airy18531855Fourth term[2][3]
11Manuel John Johnson18551857[2][3]
12George Bishop18571859[2][3]
13Reverend Robert Main18591861[2][3]
14John Lee18611863[2][3]
7(e)George Airy18631864Fifth term, resigned after one year[2][3]
15Warren De la Rue18641866[2][3]
16Charles Pritchard18661868[2][3]
17Russell Henry Manners18681870[2][3]
18William Lassell18701872[2][3]
19Arthur Cayley18721874[2][3]
10(b)John Couch Adams18741876Second term. Last president to serve for more than 2 years in total.[2][3]
20William Huggins18761878[2][3]
21James Ludovic Lindsay18781880[2][3]
22John Russell Hind18801882[2][3]
23Edward Stone18821884[2][3]
24Edwin Dunkin18841886[2][3]
25(a)James Whitbread Lee Glaisher18861888First term[2][3]
26William Christie18881890[2][3]
27James Francis Tennant18901892[2][3]
28(a)Edward Ball Knobel18921893First term[2][3]
29William de Wiveleslie Abney18931895[2][3]
30Andrew Ainslie Common18951897[2][3]
31Robert Stawell Ball18971899[2][3]
32George Darwin18991900[2][3]
28(b)Edward Ball Knobel19001901Second term[2][3]
25(b)James Whitbread Lee Glaisher19011903Second term[2][3]
33Herbert Hall Turner19031905[2][3]
34William Maw19051907[2][3]
35Hugh Frank Newall19071909[2][3]
36David Gill19091911[2][3]
37Frank Watson Dyson19111913[2][3]
38Edmond Herbert Grove-Hills19131915[2][3]
39Ralph Allen Sampson19151917[2][3]
40Percy Alexander MacMahon19171919[2][3]
41Alfred Fowler19191921[2][3]
42Arthur Eddington19211923[2]
43John Louis Emil Dreyer19231925[2]
44James Jeans19251927[2]
45Theodore Evelyn Reece Phillips19271929[2]
46Andrew Claude De Lacherois Crommelin19291931[2]
47Harold Knox-Shaw19311933[2]
48Frederick John Marrian Stratton19331935[2]
49John Henry Reynolds19351937[2]
50Harold Spencer Jones19371939[2]
51Henry Crozier Keating Plummer19391941[2]
52Sydney Chapman19411943[2]
53Arthur Milne19431945[2]
54Harry Hemley Plaskett19451947[2]
55William Michael Herbert Greaves19471949[2]
56William Marshall Smart19491951[2]
57Herbert Dingle19511953[2]
58John Jackson19531955[2]
59Harold Jeffreys19551957[2]
60William Herbert Steavenson19571959[2]
61Roderick Oliver Redman19591961[2]
62William McCrea19611963[2]
63Richard van der Riet Woolley19631965[2]
64Thomas George Cowling19651967[2]
65Donald Sadler19671969[2][5]
66Bernard Lovell19691971[2]
67Fred Hoyle19711973[2]
68Donald Blackwell19731975[2]
69Francis Graham-Smith19751977[2]
70Alan Cook19771979[2]
71Michael Seaton19791981[2]
72Arnold Wolfendale19811983[2]
73Raymond Hide19831985[2]
74Donald Lynden-Bell19851987[2]
75Rod Davies19871989[2]
76Roger John Tayler19891990Astronomer: stellar evolution, galaxy evolution, plasma physics.
Resigned his presidency a year early when he was diagnosed with myeloma.		[2][6]
77Kenneth Pounds19901992Space scientist, X-ray astronomer[2]
78Martin Rees19921994Cosmologist, theoretical astrophysicist[2]
79Carole Jordan19941996First female president
Solar physicist, ultraviolet astronomer		[2]
80Malcolm Longair19961998High energy astronomer, cosmologist[2]
81David A. Williams19982000Astrochemist[2]
82Nigel Weiss20002002Theoretical astrophysicist[2]
83Jocelyn Bell Burnell20022004Radio astronomer[2]
84Kathryn Whaler20042006Earth geophysicist[2]
85Michael Rowan-Robinson20062008Infrared astronomer[2]
86Andrew Fabian20082010X-ray astronomer[2]
87Roger Davies20102012Astronomer, physical cosmologist[2]
88David Southwood20122014Space scientist, magnetospheres[2][7]
89Martin Barstow20142016Astronomer: white dwarfs, interstellar medium, ultraviolet astronomy[2][1][8][9]
90John Zarnecki20162018Space scientist, spacecraft instrumentation[10][11]
91Mike Cruise20182020Astronomer, gravitational waves[2]
92Emma Bunce20202022Space scientist, planetary magnetospheres[12]
93Mike Edmunds20222024Astrophysicist Abundance of the chemical elements Cosmic dust[13]

Further reading
  • Dreyer, John L. E.; Turner, Herbert H., eds. (1923). History of the Royal Astronomical Society: Volume 1, 1820–1920. London: Royal Astronomical Society.
  • Tayler, Roger, ed. (1987). History of the Royal Astronomical Society: Volume 2, 1920–1980. London: Royal Astronomical Society.

References
  1. "University of Leicester Professor elected President of the Royal Astronomical Society". University of Leicester. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  2. "List of presidents and dates of office". A brief history of the RAS. Royal Astronomical Society. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  3. Dreyer, John L. E.; Turner, Herbert H., eds. (1923). History of the Royal Astronomical Society: Volume 1, 1820–1920. London: Royal Astronomical Society. p. 250.
  4. "Ordinary Meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society, held on November 8, 1844". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 6 (9): 85.
  5. Wilkins, G. A. (1991). "Obituary - 1908-1987 Donald Sadler". Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society. 32: 59. Bibcode:1991QJRAS..32...59W.
  6. Mestel, L. (1997). "A tribute to Roger J. Tayler (25 October 1929 - 23 January 1997)". Bulletin of the Astronomical Society of India. 25 (1): 143. Bibcode:1997BASI...25..143M.
  7. "Profile: David Southwood". Astronomy & Geophysics. 53 (4): 4.10–4.11. 2012. Bibcode:2012A&G....53d..10.. doi:10.1111/j.1468-4004.2012.53410.x.
  8. Smith, Keith. "Election results: new President and Council". Royal Astronomical Society. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  9. Massey, Robert (9 May 2014). "Elections 2014". Royal Astronomical Society. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  10. Smith, Keith (8 May 2015). "Election results 2015: new President and Council". Royal Astronomical Society. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  11. "Election results 2015: new President and Council". Royal Astronomical Society. 11 May 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  12. "Election results 2019: new RAS Council". Royal Astronomical Society. May 10, 2019. Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020. President Elect: Emma Bunce. The President Elect will serve as President Elect for one year and as President for two years.
  13. Massey, Robert (May 12, 2021). "Election results 2021: new RAS Council". Royal Astronomical Society. Retrieved January 18, 2023. President-elect (to take office as President from May 2022, serving on Council immediately): Prof. Mike Edmunds.
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