If you are a professional astronomer, geophysicist, or similar; a student studying these disciplines; or simply someone with a serious interest in them, we urge you to apply for membership, also known as Fellowship, of the Royal Astronomical Society and enjoy the following benefits.
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and Geophysical Journal International are open access. Fellows of the RAS can receive printed versions of the Journal for the History of Astronomy. The Observatory magazine will be available as a FREE down-loadable pdf from the www.obsmag.org website. The Observatory will no longer be available as a printed version from 1 January 2025.
- All Fellows are eligible to apply for a 20% discount on the Article Processing Charges in the journals when they publish Open Access.
- Free subscription to our bimonthly magazine Astronomy & Geophysics both online and print.
- Free online access to RAS Techniques & Instruments. The online access is available via the Fellows' website.
- Free yearly diary, packed with useful astronomical information
- Use of one of the finest astronomical libraries and archives.
- Access to grants
- 25% discount on a range of books published by Oxford University Press
- Free use of the RAS joblist
- Use (within office hours) of the Fellows Room at Burlington House
- Discounted fees for members of societies affiliated with the RAS
- Free attendance at all RAS scientific meetings in Burlington House
- Discounted registration fees at the annual RAS National Astronomy Meeting
- Book loans from the RAS Library
- The opportunity to nominate Medal and Award-winners
- Free room hire (Council Room and Lecture Theatre at Burlington). Fellows may book rooms for their meetings in Burlington House free of charge, or for meetings of UK registered charities and not for profit organisations whose own objectives are aligned with the charitable objectives of the Society, provided the booking is made no more than three months in advance of the meeting.
- New Fellows will receive a membership card. Door entry cards to the building are available on request.
Representing astronomy and geophysics
The RAS is a key voice in the fight to maintain access to world-class facilities and funding to support research in astronomy and geophysics. As the UK's national learned society for astronomy and geophysics, the RAS needs the support of the entire community to maintain its leadership role in lobbying government and funding agencies at all levels. We also represent the views of our members to international bodies, such as the EU and European Space Agency. Your support and input are needed! Becoming a Fellow of the RAS is an excellent way to ensure that your opinions are heard by policy makers.
How to join
To find out how much it costs to join, see our current fees; students can join for as little as £5. Visit How to join for more information about the application process.