London, UK – In a historic appointment, Professor Michelle Doherty of Imperial College London has been named the 16th Astronomer Royal, marking the first time a woman has held this prestigious position in the United Kingdom’s 350-year-old astronomical tradition.
The British Cabinet officially confirmed Professor Doherty’s appointment to the esteemed role,established in 1675 by King Charles II to advance navigation. this significant milestone breaks a long-standing tradition where all previous holders of the office have been men.
Professor Doherty’s selection is a testament to her groundbreaking scientific contributions. She is renowned for her pivotal research on Saturn’s moon Enceladus, where her team discovered evidence of water and hydrocarbons in its atmosphere. Her work also includes extensive analysis of magnetic field data from the joint NASA-ESA Cassini-Huygens mission and her leadership as chief researcher for the ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission. In recognition of her achievements, she was awarded the Royal Society’s Hughes Medal in 2008.
Originally from South Africa, professor Doherty’s journey into the cosmos began at the age of 10 when she observed Jupiter through her father’s telescope. Despite not having access to science classes in her early schooling, this early captivation ignited a passion that propelled her to excel in her university science studies and ultimately become a world-leading astrophysicist.
In an interview with the BBC, Professor Doherty expressed her hope that her appointment would inspire others, stating, “I hope everyone knows that it’s as of what I did, not because of my gender. But at the same time, if you see me and think, ‘I can do that too,’ then that’s wonderful.”
Professor Doherty plans to leverage her new role to actively promote the field of astronomy. “I would like to communicate how interesting and importantly connected to our daily lives this field is through this position,” she stated.
Reporter: Kim Tae-kwon
