Astronomers Royal

Astronomer Royal is the title awarded by the Royal Household to a prominent scientist working in the field of astronomy. John Flamsteed was the first Astronomer Royal, appointed by King Charles II in 1675 'to apply himself with the most exact care and diligence to the rectifying of the tables of the motions of the heavens, and the places of the fixed stars, so as to find out the so much desired longitude of places for the perfecting of the art of navigation'. Until 1972, the Astronomer Royal was also Director of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. Today, it is a largely honorary post with a stipend of £100. The appointment has led to much advancement in the area, including Edmund Halley's discovery of the periodic nature of comets.