The Royal Astronomical Society is celebrating the 350th anniversary of the Royal Observatory Greenwich by highlighting the long standing links between the two institutions.
To mark the occasion, the Society is today launching a special collection and booklet illustrating the evolving relationship between Greenwich and the RAS from the 1820s until the Observatory's relocation to Herstmonceux in 1948.
It is titled 'Band of Brothers: The entwined histories of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, and Royal Astronomical Society'.
The collection and associated booklet have been put together by Dr Louise Devoy, Senior Curator at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, and the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS) editorial office.
They feature articles from MNRAS, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society (QJRAS), and Astronomy & Geophysics (A&G).
These detail the first 10 Astronomers Royal who lived and worked at Greenwich, before focusing on five themes: The Sun, Instrumentation, Longitude, Time, and the Planets.
The booklet is also available in PDF form, featuring interactive links to relevant objects held within the collections of Royal Museums Greenwich for additional information.
Dr Devoy, who has a background in astrophysics and the history of science, has worked at various museums in the UK and abroad.
Her research interests encompass astronomical instruments, women in astronomy and networks of knowledge exchange between historic observatories.
Over the past five years, Dr Devoy has delved into the archives and museum stores to choose 100 objects and their stories for her book Royal Observatory Greenwich: A History in Objects, which has also been published to celebrate the Observatory’s 350th anniversary in 2025.