John Flamsteed was an English astronomer and the first Astronomer Royal. His main achievements were the preparation of a 3,000-star catalogue, Catalogus Britannicus, and a star atlas called Atlas Coelestis, both published posthumously. He also made the first recorded observations of Uranus, although he mistakenly catalogued it as a star, and he laid the foundation stone for the Royal Greenwich Observatory.
Portrait by Thomas Gibson, 1712
Plaque marking the grave of John Flamsteed and his wife in the chancel of St Bartholomew's Church in Burstow, Surrey
Bust of John Flamsteed in the Museum of the Royal Greenwich Observatory
Astronomer Royal is a senior post in the Royal Households of the United Kingdom. There are two officers, the senior being the astronomer royal dating from 22 June 1675; the junior is the astronomer royal for Scotland dating from 1834. The Astronomer Royal works to make observations to improve navigation, cartography, instrument design, and applications of geomagnetism. The position was created with the overall goal of discovering a way to determine longitude at sea when out of sight of land.
John Flamsteed, the first astronomer royal, by Thomas Gibson. Royal Society, London.
Image: John Flamsteed 1702
Image: Edmond Halley 072
Image: James Bradley by Thomas Hudson
