The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) has announced its 2026 award recipients, with Professor Shrinivas Kulkarni and Professor Andrew Jackson each receiving a Gold Medal, the Society's highest honor. Professor Kulkarni, from the California Institute of Technology, was awarded the Gold Medal in Astronomy for his discoveries in time-domain astronomy, including millisecond pulsars, gamma-ray bursts, and supernovae. Professor Jackson, of ETH Zürich, received the Gold Medal in Geophysics for his work in geomagnetism, which led to a widely used model of Earth's historical magnetic field.
Professor Kulkarni expressed surprise and gratitude, thanking collaborators and engineering crews for their contributions. He described the discovery of the first millisecond pulsar as a significant achievement during his graduate studies. Professor Jackson acknowledged the significance of the award for his work on understanding the deep Earth and thanked his collaborators.
Other notable 2026 medal recipients include:
- Eddington Medal (Theoretical Astrophysics): Professor Debora Šijački, University of Cambridge
- Chapman Medal (Sun, Space, and Planetary Environments): Professor Mathew Owens, University of Reading
- Herschel Medal (Observational Astrophysics): Professor Andrew Bunker, University of Oxford, for his work with the James Webb Space Telescope.
- Jackson-Gwilt Medal (Astronomical/Geophysical Instrumentation): Professor Alistair Glasse, UK Astronomy Technology Centre.
- Agnes Mary Clerke Medal (History of Astronomy/Geophysics): Professor Clemency Montelle, University of Canterbury, New Zealand.
- Annie Maunder Medal (Outreach and Public Engagement): Dr. Edward Gomez, Cardiff University, for promoting scientific literacy and skepticism.
The RAS awards, which date back over 200 years, recognize significant achievements across astronomy and geophysics. Since 1964, two Gold Medals have been awarded annually: one for astronomy and one for geophysics. The awards were announced at the Society's A&G Highlights Meeting on January 9, 2026. Professor Mike Lockwood, President of the RAS, extended congratulations to all winners and thanked those involved in the selection process.