2023 June 24

Nominations invited for the Sir Patrick Moore Prize and the Cicely Botley Prize

David Arditti

The Sir Patrick Moore Prize of £500 plus a year’s membership of the BAA may be awarded to any person, group, society or school (whether member or affiliate of the BAA or not) for one or more of the following areas of activity, selected to reflect Sir Patrick’s life and enthusiasms:

1. The encouragement of a public interest in astronomy
   
2. A contribution to the understanding of the history of astronomy
   
3. Outstanding observational work by a member or members under 21 years of age
   
4. The encouragement of participation in observational astronomy by youngsters
   
5. The carrying-out of a collaborative research project, whether between amateurs only, or also involving professional astronomers.
   

Last year’s prize was awarded jointly to Martin Crow, Simon Dawes, and Adrian Jones for their work making exoplanet transit timings in the pro-am ExoClock project.

The Cicely Botley Prize of a book token for £100 may be awarded to a member who has made an outstanding contribution to one of the Association’s publications, to include all types of media, including print, video and on-line. Last year’s prize was won by John Simpson for his Journal papers on historic observations of sunspots and aurorae.

Nominations for either of these prizes should have a proposer and a seconder. Self-nominations are not accepted. Please send nominations, including a short statement explaining the reason the person or group should be considered for the awarding of a prize, to Madelaine Davey at the Office (email office@britastro.org) by September 30. Nominations will be considered by a committee, which will make recommendations to Council, and the prizes will be presented at the Christmas Meeting, if possible.

David Arditti (President and Chair, Sir Patrick Moore Prize Committee)