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— CH. 1 · THE TELESCOPE ON THE MEDAL —

Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society

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  • The Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society features a specific image. It depicts Sir William Herschel's 40-foot telescope. Herschel served as the first President of the RAS. This physical object serves as the primary symbol for the award. All recipients are listed in official records. The design remains consistent with this historical imagery.

  • The RAS Council holds complete freedom regarding grounds for awards. Past recognitions covered outstanding personal research in astronomy and geophysics. Leadership roles also qualified candidates for the honor. Scientific administration could lead to selection. Education efforts were another valid path. Lifetime achievement became the most frequent reason for giving the medal. Specific pieces of research occasionally received the gold instead.

  • There are 17 years without an award recorded in history. The most recent gap occurred during 1942 due to World War II disruption. A political controversy delayed recognition for Albert Einstein. Britain remained technically engaged in the First World War against Germany when the vote took place. The Treaty of Versailles did not enter into force until the 10th of January 1920. Council members felt it inappropriate to award a German citizen at that time. No gold medal was awarded in 1920 because of these tensions. Einstein finally received his medal in 1926 after the situation stabilized.

  • Caroline Herschel became the first woman to receive the Gold Medal in 1828. No other woman received the award until Vera Rubin in 1996. This span covers nearly two centuries of male recipients only. Margaret Burbidge and Geoffrey Burbidge shared the 2005 Gold Medal in astronomy. They won the first joint award since 1886. Recent years show more female winners like Jocelyn Bell Burnell in 2021. Sandra Faber received the honor in 2020 as well.

  • In 1964 the award expanded to two medals per year. One category covered astronomy including astrophysics and cosmology. The other focused on geophysics including planetary science and tectonics. This change ensured balance between research areas. Before this decision, one medal per year was usual practice. Two medals were awarded in both 1867 and 1886 previously. The current system maintains this dual structure for all subsequent years.

  • Neptune's discovery in 1846 caused a major problem for the committee. John Couch Adams and Urbain Le Verrier had independently predicted the planet. Many felt any award should be given jointly to them. A controversy arose during the nomination process so no award was made in 1847. Twelve testimonial awards replaced the gold medal in 1848 for various people. Gold medal awards resumed in 1849 with a limit of one per year. Adams and Le Verrier did not get their gold medals until 1866 and 1868 respectively. Arthur Eddington led an expedition to observe the solar eclipse on the 29th of May 1919. Photographs from that event confirmed Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity.

Common questions

What image does the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society feature?

The Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society features an image of Sir William Herschel's 40-foot telescope. This physical object serves as the primary symbol for the award and maintains a design consistent with this historical imagery.

When did Caroline Herschel become the first woman to receive the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society?

Caroline Herschel became the first woman to receive the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1828. No other woman received the award until Vera Rubin in 1996, creating a span covering nearly two centuries of male recipients only.

Why was no gold medal awarded in 1920 by the Royal Astronomical Society?

No gold medal was awarded in 1920 because Britain remained technically engaged in the First World War against Germany when the vote took place. Council members felt it inappropriate to award a German citizen at that time since the Treaty of Versailles did not enter into force until the 10th of January 1920.

How many medals per year does the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society award now compared to before 1964?

In 1964 the award expanded to two medals per year with one category covering astronomy including astrophysics and cosmology and the other focusing on geophysics including planetary science and tectonics. Before this decision one medal per year was usual practice though two medals were awarded in both 1867 and 1886 previously.

When did John Couch Adams receive his Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society after the Neptune discovery controversy?

John Couch Adams received his Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1866 following the Neptune discovery controversy. No award was made in 1847 due to the dispute over joint recognition for him and Urbain Le Verrier, and twelve testimonial awards replaced the gold medal in 1848 for various people.

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All sources

25 references cited across the entry

  1. 1journalAn Explanation of the observed Irregularities in the Motion of Uranus, on the Hypothesis of Disturbance caused by a more distant Planet; with a Determination of the Mass, Orbit, and Position of the disturbing BodyJ. C. Adams — 13 November 1846
  2. 2journalNews: Appointments and awards2000
  3. 3webRAS meeting and Community Forum - JENAM 2009
  4. 4webRAS Honours Outstanding Astronomers and GeophysicistsRoyal Astronomical Society
  5. 5webRAS honours outstanding astronomers and geophysicistsRoyal Astronomical Society — 19 January 2011
  6. 6webRAS honours leading astronomers and geophysicistsRoyal Astronomical Society
  7. 7web2013 winners of the RAS awards, medals and prizesRoyal Astronomical Society — 10 January 2013
  8. 8web2014 winners of the RAS awards, medals and prizesRoyal Astronomical Society — 10 January 2014
  9. 9webThe Royal Astronomical Society
  10. 10webLeading astronomers and geophysicists honoured by Royal Astronomical SocietyMorgan Hollis — Royal Astronomical Society — 9 January 2019
  11. 11webLeading astronomers and geophysicists honoured in RAS bicentenary yearRoyal Astronomical Society — 10 January 2020
  12. 12press releaseRoyal Astronomical Society Honours Stars of Astronomy and Geophysics8 January 2021
  13. 13webGold Medal (A)RAS
  14. 14webThe Gold MedalRoyal Astronomical Society — 2021
  15. 15bookHistory of the Royal Astronomical Society: Volume 1, 1820–1920R. A. Sampson — Royal Astronomical Society — 1987
  16. 16bookHistory of the Royal Astronomical Society: Volume 1, 1820–1920H. F. Newall — Royal Astronomical Society — 1987
  17. 17bookHistory of the Royal Astronomical Society: Volume 2, 1920–1980Herbert Dingle et al. — Royal Astronomical Society — 1987
  18. 18webWinners of the 2015 awards, medals and prizes - full details9 January 2015
  19. 19webRAS honours leading astronomers and geophysicistRAS — 8 January 2015
  20. 20webRAS honours leading astronomers and geophysicistsRoyal Astronomical Society — 11 January 2017
  21. 21webRoyal Astronomical Society reveals 2022 award winnersKahlon Gurjeet — Royal Astronomical Society — 11 January 2022
  22. 22webRoyal Astronomical Society unveils 2023 award winnersRobert Massey — Royal Astronomical Society — 13 January 2023
  23. 23press releaseRoyal Astronomical Society unveils 2024 award winnersSam Tonkin — Royal Astronomical Society — 12 January 2024
  24. 24press releasePioneering physicist and galaxy luminary among 2025 RAS award winnersSam Tonkin — Royal Astronomical Society — 10 January 2025
  25. 25press releaseWinners of 2026 RAS Awards revealedSam Tonkin — Royal Astronomical Society — 9 January 2026