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

He was the child of a refugee who fled the French Revolution and then became a ward and apprentice of John Pond, the Astronomer Royal.

From BBC

Prof Catherine Heymans of Edinburgh University and Scotland's Astronomer Royal, who is independent of the research team, said that results like these help to drive science forward.

From BBC

"They did something that I think everyone on Instagram will have done at some time in their life, they tweaked the colours," Prof Catherine Heymans, Astronomer Royal for Scotland and a University of Edinburgh astrophysics professor, told BBC Radio 4's Today.

From BBC

"We live in an infinite Universe, with infinite stars and planets. And it's been obvious to many of us that we can't be the only intelligent life out there," says Prof Catherine Heymans, Scotland's Astronomer Royal.

From BBC

The observatory was founded by Charles II in 1676 with Flamsteed House, named after the first Astronomer Royal John Flamsteed, thought to be the work of Sir Christopher Wren.

From BBC