Astronomer Royal

Astronomer Royal was the title of director of the Royal Greenwich Observatory in Greenwich in his capacity as court astronomer of the English royal family.

The office was established by Charles II on June 22nd, 1675 when he assigned the astronomer John Flamsteed an annual salary of £ 100 (which would be around £ 17,556 adjusted for inflation today ) and instructed him to “work with the utmost care and diligence of the To devote improvement of the tables to the movements of the sky and the positions of the fixed stars in order to find the longed-for determination of the longitude , whereby the art of navigation could be perfected. "

The functions have been separated since 1972 and the Astronomer Royal has since been an honorary title for deserving astronomers.

The previous holders of the title with their terms of office are:

John Flamsteed (1675-1719)
Edmond Halley (1720-1742)
James Bradley (1742–1762)
Nathaniel Bliss (1762–1764)
Nevil Maskelyne (1765-1811)
John Pond (1811-1835)
George Biddell Airy (1835-1881)
William Christie (1881-1910)
Frank Dyson (1910-1933)
Harold Spencer Jones (1933-1955)
Richard van der Riet Wooley (1956–1971)
Martin Ryle (1972-1982)
Francis Graham Smith (1982–1990)
Arnold W. Wolfendale (1990–1995)
Martin Rees (since 1995)

Web links

Astronomer Royal

Individual evidence

↑ "to apply himself with the most exact care and diligence to the rectifying of the tables of the motions of the heavens, and the places of the fixed stars, so as to find out the so much desired longitude of places for the perfecting of the art of navigation. ”In: F. Baily: An Account of the Rev. John Flamsteed. Reprinted in: R. Walsh et al .: The Museum of foreign literature, science and art. E Litell, 1836. Vol. 28, p. 293, [1]

[1] "to apply himself with the most exact care and diligence to the rectifying of the tables of the motions of the heavens, and the places of the fixed stars, so as to find out the so much desired longitude of places for the perfecting of the art of navigation. ”In: F. Baily: An Account of the Rev. John Flamsteed. Reprinted in: R. Walsh et al .: The Museum of foreign literature, science and art. E Litell, 1836. Vol. 28, p. 293, [1]