The Jackson-Gwilt Medal is an award that has been issued by the

Royal Astronomical Society (Whatever shines should be observed) , predecessor = , successor = , formation = , founder = , extinction = , merger = , merged = , type = NG ...

(RAS) since 1897. The original criteria were for the invention, improvement, or development of

astronomical instrument Astronomical instruments include: *Alidade *Armillary sphere *Astrarium *Astrolabe *Astronomical clock *the Antikythera mechanism, an astronomical clock * Blink comparator *Bolometer *the Canterbury Astrolabe Quadrant *Celatone *Celestial sphere * ...

ation or techniques; for achievement in

observational astronomy Observational astronomy is a division of astronomy that is concerned with recording data about the observable universe, in contrast with theoretical astronomy, which is mainly concerned with calculating the measurable implications of physica ...

; or for achievement in research into the

history of astronomy Astronomy is the oldest of the natural sciences, dating back to antiquity, with its origins in the religious, mythological, cosmological, calendrical, and astrological beliefs and practices of prehistory: vestiges of these are still found in ...

. From 2017 onwards, the history of astronomy category has been removed and transferred to a new award, the Agnes Mary Clerke Medal. The frequency of the medal has varied over time. Initially it was irregular, with gaps of between three and five years between awards. From 1968 onwards it was awarded regularly every three years; from 2004 every two years; and since 2008 it has been awarded every year. The award is named after Hannah Jackson ''

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

'' Gwilt. She was a niece of

Joseph Gwilt Joseph Gwilt (11 January 1784 – 14 September 1863) was an English architect and writer. He was the son of George Gwilt, architect surveyor to the county of Surrey, and was born at Southwark. George Gwilt the Younger, was his elder brother. H ...

(an architect and Fellow of the RAS) and daughter of George Gwilt (another Fellow); Hannah donated the original funds for the medal. It is the second oldest award issued by the RAS, after the

Gold Medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have be ...

List of winners

Source is unless otherwise noted.

References

{{Royal Astronomical Society Astronomy prizes Astronomy in the United Kingdom Awards established in 1897 British science and technology awards Royal Astronomical Society 1897 establishments in the United Kingdom

List of winners

See also

References