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American Astronomical Society

The American Astronomical Society (AAS, sometimes spoken as "double-A-S") is an American society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC. The primary objective of the AAS is to promote the advancement of astronomy and closely related branches of science, while the secondary purpose includes enhancing astronomy education and providing a political voice for its members through lobbying and grassroots activities. Its current mission is to enhance and share humanity's scientific understanding of the universe as a diverse and inclusive astronomical community.

Not to be confused with American Astronautical Society.

Formation

1899 (1899)

The advancement of astronomy and closely related branches of science.

Washington, D.C.

7,000

Kelsey Johnson

Astronomical and Astrophysical Society of America

History[edit]

The society was founded in 1899 through the efforts of George Ellery Hale. The constitution of the group was written by Hale, George Comstock, Edward Morley, Simon Newcomb and Edward Charles Pickering. These men, plus four others, were the first Executive Council of the society; Newcomb was the first president. The initial membership was 114. The AAS name of the society was not finally decided until 1915, previously it was the "Astronomical and Astrophysical Society of America". One proposed name that preceded this interim name was "American Astrophysical Society".[1]


The AAS today has over 8,000 members and six divisions – the Division for Planetary Sciences (1968), the Division on Dynamical Astronomy (1969), the High Energy Astrophysics Division (1969), the Solar Physics Division (1969), the Historical Astronomy Division (1980) and the Laboratory Astrophysics Division (2012). The membership includes physicists, mathematicians, geologists, engineers and others whose research interests lie within the broad spectrum of subjects now comprising contemporary astronomy. The annual meeting of the AAS is held in the spring and constitutes the largest gathering of astronomers, numbering over 3,000 in 2023.[2]


In 2019 three AAS members were selected into the tenth anniversary class of TED Fellows.[3]


The AAS established the AAS Fellows program in 2019 to "confer recognition upon AAS members for achievement and extraordinary service to the field of astronomy and the American Astronomical Society."[4] The inaugural class was designated by the AAS Board of Trustees and includes an initial group of 232 Legacy Fellows.[4][5]

The (DPS) supports planetology and exploration of the Solar System.

Division for Planetary Sciences

The (DDA) supports research on the dynamics (orbits, evolution, and history) of astronomical systems from the Solar System to superclusters of galaxies on cosmological scales.

Division on Dynamical Astronomy

The (HEAD) supports knowledge about high energy events, particles, quanta, relativistic gravitational fields, and related phenomena in the astrophysical universe.

High Energy Astrophysics Division

The (HAD) supports topics relevant to the history of astronomy as a field, and research using historical astronomical records to solve current problems in astronomy.

Historical Astronomy Division

The (SPD) supports solar physics (astrophysical research on the Sun), and its interactions with the Solar System and Earth.

Solar Physics Division

In 2012, a new division was formed: the (LAD) to advance humanity's understanding of the Universe through the promotion of fundamental theoretical and experimental research into the underlying processes that drive the Universe.

Laboratory Astrophysics Division

Because the field of astronomy is diverse, several divisions have been formed each of which promotes and enables a different branch of astronomy or astronomy-related science as well as working within the overall charter of the AAS. Many of the divisions hold separate meetings in addition to meeting with the main group. The divisions of the AAS, together with their main research interests, are:

Astronomical Journal

[no longer published]

Astronomy Education Review

The Astrophysical Journal

The Planetary Science Journal

Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society

(scientific publication of brief communications, non peer-reviewed)

Research Notes of the AAS

, an online publication with highlights from the research journals of the Society.

AAS Nova

In June 2019 AAS announced that it would be the new publisher of .[6]

Sky & Telescope

In August 2020 AAS announced that it had acquired the inventory, author contracts and related assets of Willmann-Bell, Inc. a publisher of astronomical books, atlases and software.

[7]

The , for lifetime achievement in astronomy

Henry Norris Russell Lectureship

The , for outstanding early career in observational astronomy

Newton Lacy Pierce Prize in Astronomy

The , for outstanding early career in theoretical astronomy

Helen B. Warner Prize for Astronomy

The , for a creative or innovating contribution to astronomy

Beatrice M. Tinsley Prize

The , for a significant advance in astronomical instrumentation

Joseph Weber Award

The (joint award with the American Institute of Physics), for outstanding work in astrophysics

Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics

The , for outstanding service to astronomy

George Van Biesbroeck Prize

The (awarded in concert with the American Association of University Women), for outstanding early career by a female astronomer

Annie J. Cannon Award in Astronomy

the for astronomy writing for an academic audience

Chambliss Astronomical Writing Award

The for exemplary poster and oral research presentation by undergraduate and graduate students

Beth Brown Memorial Award

The for exemplary research by undergraduate and graduate students

Chambliss Astronomy Achievement Student Award

The for exemplary research by an amateur astronomer

Chambliss Amateur Achievement Award

The AAS Education Prize for outstanding contributions to astronomy education (formerly called the Annenberg Foundation Award)

Similar prizes are awarded by AAS divisions. These include:


The AAS also manages an International Travel Grant program, which any astronomer working in the US may apply to for travel to international astronomy-related conferences and other smaller grant and award programs. American Astronomical Society won the 2020 Webby People's Voice Award for Association in the category Web.[8]

215th meeting of the American Astronomical Society

List of astronomical societies

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Official website

Media related to American Astronomical Society at Wikimedia Commons