European Astronomical Society

The European Astronomical Society (EAS) is a learned society, founded under the Swiss Civil Code in 1990, as an association to contribute and promote the advancement of astronomy in Europe, and to deal with astronomical matters at a European level. It is a society of individual professional astronomers, and all European astronomers can be members independently of their field of work or country of work or origin. The society offers a forum for discussion on all aspects of astronomical development in Europe, and is the organisation that represents the interests of astronomers in discussions of European-wide developments.

European Astronomical Society
AbbreviationEAS
Formation1990; 34 years ago (1990)
TypeNGO, learned society
PurposeTo contribute to and promote the advancement of astronomy, in its broadest sense, in Europe by all suitable means.
HeadquartersDepartment of Astronomy, University of Geneva
Location
President
Italy Sara Lucatello
Vice-President
Netherlands Lex Kaper
Vice-President
France Nabila Aghanim
Websiteeas.unige.ch

Agata Różańska (Poland) serves as the EAS Newsletter editor.

Presidents

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The President of the European Astronomical Society chairs the governing Council of the EAS and liaises with similar societies in countries around the world, and with the International Astronomical Union on behalf of the European astronomy community. The first person to hold the title of President of the European Astronomical Society was Lodewijk Woltjer, a post he held from the founding of the EAS until 1994. The post has a term of office of four years, the same as the other offices on the governing Council of the Society, and the office transfers from the incumbent at the conclusion of the final EAS Annual Meeting of their term. Thierry Courvoisier [fr] and Roger Davies are the only holders to have been re-elected for a second term.

The current president is Sara Lucatello (Padua, Italy), who took up the role in 2024.

# Image Name Start year End year Notes Reference
01   Lodewijk Woltjer 1990 21 August 1993 [1]
02 Paul Murdin 21 August 1993 5 July 1997 [1][2][3]
03   Jean-Paul Zahn [fr] 5 July 1997 2001 [2][3]
04 Harvey Raymond Butcher 2001 2006 [citation needed]
05 Joachim Krautter 2006 2010 [citation needed]
06 Thierry Courvoisier [fr] 2010 2017 [citation needed]
07   Roger Davies 2017 2024 [4][5]
08 Sara Lucatello 2024 [citation needed]

Prizes

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The European Astronomical Society awards several prizes on an annual or biannual basis.

Year established Prize Purpose of award Notes
2008 Tycho Brahe Prize Awarded in recognition of the development or exploitation of European instruments, or for major discoveries based largely on such instruments. Named in honour of the influential sixteenth-century Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe.
2010 Lodewijk Woltjer Lecture To honour astronomers of outstanding scientific distinction. Named in honour of the first President of the European Astronomical Society, Lodewijk Woltjer.
2013 MERAC Prizes in Theoretical Astrophysics Awarded to best Early Career Researcher (on odd years) and for best Doctoral Thesis (on even years).
Observational Astrophysics
New Technologies (Instrumental/Computational)
2020 Fritz Zwicky Prize for Astrophysics and Cosmology Awarded to those who have obtained fundamental and outstanding results related to astrophysics and/or cosmology. Awarded biennially on behalf of the Fritz Zwicky Foundation.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b EAS Newsletter (PDF) (Report). September 1993. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  2. ^ a b Bochkarev, N. G. (December 1999). "Preface". Astronomical & Astrophysical Transactions. 18 (3): 411. doi:10.1080/10556799908202996. ISSN 1055-6796. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  3. ^ a b EAS Newsletter (PDF) (Report). October 1997. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 September 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  4. ^ "EAS e-News". 8 July 2016. Archived from the original on 12 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  5. ^ "Professor Roger Davies Elected as President of the European Astronomical Society". www.chch.ox.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
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