Astronomer Royal

noun

1. the chief astronomer of England, appointed by the British Crown.

2. the chief astronomer of Scotland, director of the Royal Edinburgh Observatory.

Astronomer Royal

noun

1. an honorary title awarded to an eminent British astronomer: until 1972, the Astronomer Royal was also director of the Royal Greenwich Observatory

Word History and Origins

Origin of Astronomer Royal¹

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Now she is the first woman to be appointed the UK's Astronomer Royal in the post's 350-year history, and is part of the team sending probes to Jupiter's icy moons.

From BBC

"I'm having to pinch myself at the thought of it and I'm having to pinch myself at the fact that I'm now Astronomer Royal!"

From BBC

The role of Astronomer Royal dates back to the creation of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich in 1675.

From BBC

"By the 1800s the Astronomer Royal started to be called upon to act as a government advisor, so that may be to advise on the railways or bridges or telegraphy, a whole range of topics beyond astronomy," she said.

From BBC

But at the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh, Prof Catherine Heyman has held an equivalent post as Astronomer Royal for Scotland since 2021.

From BBC