RAS Library and Archives

Publish and Perish As I announced yesterday I am playing away this week with a tasty post on astrology and astronomy on the excellent Forbidden Histories blog site. However the substitute bank here at The Renaissance…

Nicolaus Copernicus was born 19 February 1473. @karlgalle.bsky.social's biographical sketch of his life & work #histsci
thonyc.wordpress.com/2018/05/24/p...

The largest solar storm was named after a 19th century astronomer. His only portrait has been found | CNN Richard Carrington’s name has long been connected with the most intense solar storm ever recorded, but his face was unknown until a lost portrait surfaced.

RAS archivist Kate Bond spoke to CNN about her discovery of Richard Carrington's portrait:
www.cnn.com/2026/02/12/s...

Capturing Carrington A speculative search in the right place at the right time turned up what is thought to be the only image of the eponymous solar observer.

Fun astronomy/archives story - Kate Bond @royalastrosoc.bsky.social has tracked down the only photograph of 19th century astronomer Richard Carrington, who spotted the first recorded solar flare. academic.oup.com/astrogeo/art...

Dr Allan Chapman was a great friend to the RAS Library and very generous with his knowledge - we will miss him.

The web image used for the meeting on machine learning in solid earth science shows seismicity at Campi Flegrei volcanic field in Naples, Italy. Meeting delegates also had the chance to see Athanasius Kircher's engraving of this area from his 1638 visit in 'Mundus subterraneus' (1678).

The Agnes Mary Clerke Medal, awarded every three years to an individual who has achieved outstanding personal research into the history of astronomy or geophysics, goes to Prof Clemency Montelle, of the University of Canterbury, NZ.

She said she was "delighted and honoured" to receive the prize.
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@lfrench.bsky.social Hi Linda, I hope all's well, good to see you here. A reader has a question about Goodricke, would you be able to help?

Thanks so much, I really enjoyed talking to you all! Lovely to return to MKAS :-)

🧑💻 Job vacancy 🧑💻

We're looking for a part-time Assistant Librarian to join our team and would love to hear from anyone with the necessary skills and experience!

Want to apply or find out more? Visit: ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...

White marble depicting William Huggins and Margaret Lindsay Huggins.

Good to finally see the plaque dedicated to pioneering astronomers Willam and Margaret Huggins in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral this evening. Installed in 1917.

There aren't many other women commemorated in the 500 or so monuments here, but this post reveals more: lookup.london/women-of-st-....

BBC Four - The Sky at Night, Greenwich: A Journey Through Space and Time The team celebrate the 350th anniversary of the Royal Observatory.

Sky at Night - BBC 4 tonight at 21.50 - celebrates the 350th birthday of Royal Observatory Greenwich, and we get to talk about time and black holes. It's genuinely a great episode - please watch. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Left to right: Sean Prosser, Pam Rowden Adam Boal.

Left to right: Sian Prosser, Pam Rowden and Adam Boal, ready for visitors at the RAS @royalastrosoc.bsky.social stand at the Lambeth Country Show. @astrolibrarian.bsky.social @oxfordacademic.bsky.social Come and meet us to learn more about the RAS and engage in some fun activities.

Amazing #histastro acquisition of a rare catalogue annotated by Flamsteed himself! Congratulations to @jasonwdean.com and the Linda Hall Library.

Cover of a program for “Libraries of Science” at the Royal Society” with a picture of lots of old book spines.

Something a bit different for me today - attending this event on “Libraries of Science” talking later about my “Astronomers Library” book. 🔭👩‍🔬🎢

A woman in front of a stone building with the label “R. Astronomical Soc.”

Book plate saying “Presenter to the Royal Astronomical Society by Karen Masters”

A woman standing by a quilt in a library. The quilt is Astronomy themed patchwork.

A man and a woman standing in a library holding a book called “The Astronomers Library”

Nice visit to the @royalastrosoc.bsky.social today - got to see my book in the library (and some other books) meet my editor, Roland Hall, in person and see the famous quilt. 🔭👩‍🔬

“Individual contributions are all too often forgotten, overshadowed, or never acknowledged; lost in the gaps among objects.” - Professor Stephen A. Harris, Druce Curator of Oxford University Herbaria. (Adapted from the foreword to Gem Toes-Crichton’s book.)” In this talk, Gem Toes-Crichton shares h Interstices | The Hidden Histories of Women in Botany

This #InternationalWomensDay, watch our fascinating talk from Gem Toes-Crichton on her visual research exploring pioneering women in botany.

She features Elizabeth Blackwell, Anna Atkins, and the 1994 winner of our Jill Smythies prize, Rosemary Wise.

Watch: www.youtube.com/watc...

#IWD2025

A photo portrait of Beatrice de Cardi

A photo of Gertrude Bell seated at an excavation site with male colleagues.

A photo of Margaret Stokes recording archaeological observations outside.

A profile photo portrait of Joan Evans.

On #IWD2025 we're celebrating the lives and legacies of four remarkable female scholars: Gertrude Bell, Beatrice de Cardi, Joan Evans, and Margaret Stokes. #AccelerateAction

See the whole thread for stories of women and (history of) astronomy for #IWD2025 - but nota bene historians of science: nominations sought for the 2026 RAS prize for historical research #histsci

Thanks to @rhiggitt.bsky.social for contributing Agnes M. Clerke posts forn #IWD2025 - you can read a fuller tribute here: www.pascal-theatre.com/biographies/...

Seven women members of the Liverpool Astronomical Society in an 1888 photograph.

As women gained increasing access to education in the late 1900s, they played an influential role in institutions like Liverpool Astronomical Society, which was founded in 1881. Seven of 49 members depicted in an 1888 multiple portrait photograph were women.

Graphic celebrating International Women's Day on a colourful galaxy background.

Happy International Women’s Day! 👩🏾‍🔬👩🏼‍🚀👩🏻‍🔧

To mark #IWD2025, the @royalastrosoc.bsky.social is celebrating some of the women who helped shape the history of astronomy.

Follow this thread to find out more…

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"The Job Is Not Done": Gender diversity in Australian astronomy - CSIRO PUBLISHING Toner Stevenson, author of an open access research article in Historical Records of Australian Science, sheds light on the challenges faced by women in astronomy between 1966-2023.

Ahead of #WomensDay tomorrow, we spoke with historian Toner Stevenson who recently co-authored an #OpenAccess article in Historical Records of Australian Science about gender diversity in Australian astronomy.

blog.publish.csiro.au/gender-diver...

#HistoricalRecordsAS #IWD #WomenInSTEM

Science Museum to open three new galleries in next five years - Museums Association Transformation includes closure of Exploring Space gallery after four decades

News | Science Museum to open three new galleries in next five years – transformation includes closure of Exploring Space gallery after four decades

YouTube video by IllinoisRBML Sacrifice to Truth: John Flamsteed, Isaac Newton & the destruction of the 1712 "Historia Coelestis"

The video of my talk @illinoisrbml.bsky.social about Flamsteed's 1712 "Historia Coelestis" is now up! Thanks to @lynnemthomas.com for the invite and @hillemmalouise.bsky.social for the collab on our man, JF. Enjoy, and share! #HistSci 📜 📚 #histSTM #astronomy #histastro 🗃️🔭
youtu.be/E0ofUoEv4cc?...

8 women in Scotland who shaped the history of science | National Museums Scotland Many of the scientific endeavours featured in our collections are the work of women with a connection to Scotland. Below, we've highlighted key contributio

For #WomeninScienceDay, here's a listicle of women linked to @ntlmuseumsscot.bsky.social collections and stories #histstm www.nms.ac.uk/discover-cat...

SCIENCESHOTS What does a scientist look like? Children are drawing women more than ever before

When asked to draw a scientist, school-age kids in the United States are increasingly sketching women, according to a study from 2018.

Read more on #WomenInScienceDay: https://scim.ag/4hOUuvx

Royal Astronomical Society President Professor Mike Lockwood opens European AstroFest 2025.

Professor Mike Lockwood addresses the audience.

A crowd of people listening to Professor Mike Lockwood at the opening of the European AstroFest conference.

We're at European AstroFest 2025 in Kensington, west London, today! 👋 🚀

@royalastrosoc.bsky.social President Mike Lockwood opened the two-day conference, which is one of the biggest astronomy shows of its kind in the UK.

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The last great naked-eye astronomer. Anybody cognizant with the history of astronomy in the Early Modern Period almost certainly thinks that the tittle of this post alludes to Tycho Brahe but in fact it refers to a man born ten years …

The Danzig astronomer Johannes Hevelius was born 28 January 1611 #histsci
thonyc.wordpress.com/2012/01/28/t...

The RAS logo with text reading "Join us! Apply now".

📝 Job vacancy 📝

The Royal Astronomical Society wishes to appoint an Editor for its flagship members' magazine Astronomy & Geophysics.

Want to apply or find out more? Visit: https://ras.ac.uk/news-and-press/news/job-vacancy-ag-editor

January A&G Highlight's Meeting RAS Meetings | Friday, 10 of January 2025 - 16:00 | January A&G Highlight's Meeting

To learn more, book a free ticket for the hybrid A&G Highlights Meeting and drop into the RAS Library to see our temporary display if you are at Burlington House! ras.ac.uk/events-and-m...