# List of astronomy awards

This list of astronomy awards is an index to articles about notable awards for contributions to astronomy. The list is organized by region and country of the sponsoring organization, but awards are not necessarily limited to people from that country.

## Americas

| Award | Sponsor | Country | Notes |
| Annie Jump Cannon Award in Astronomy | American Astronomical Society | United States | Woman resident of North America, within five years of receipt of a Ph.D., for distinguished contributions to astronomy or for similar contributions in related sciences which have immediate application to astronomy |
| Barringer Medal | Meteoritical Society | United States | Outstanding work in the field of impact cratering and/or work that has led to a better understanding of impact phenomena |
| Beatrice M. Tinsley Prize | American Astronomical Society | United States | Outstanding research contribution to astronomy or astrophysics of an exceptionally creative or innovative character |
| Brouwer Award | Division on Dynamical Astronomy, American Astronomical Society | United States | Outstanding lifetime achievement in the field of dynamical astronomy |
| Bruce Medal | Astronomical Society of the Pacific | United States | Outstanding lifetime contributions to astronomy |
| Bruno Rossi Prize | High Energy Astrophysics division, American Astronomical Society | United States | Significant contribution to High Energy Astrophysics, with particular emphasis on recent, original work |
| Carl Sagan Medal | Division for Planetary Sciences, American Astronomical Society | United States | Outstanding communication by an active planetary scientist to the general public |
| Carl Sagan Memorial Award | American Astronautical Society / The Planetary Society | United States | Leadership in research or policies advancing exploration of the Cosmos |
| Chambliss Amateur Achievement Award | American Astronomical Society | United States | Achievement in astronomical research made by an amateur astronomer resident in North America |
| Chambliss Astronomical Writing Award | American Astronomical Society | United States | For astronomy writing for an academic audience |
| Clifford W. Holmes Award | RTMC Astronomy Expo | United States | Individual for a significant contribution to popularizing astronomy |
| Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics | American Astronomical Society / American Institute of Physics | United States | Outstanding work in astrophysics |
| Edgar Wilson Award | Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory | United States | Amateur comet discoverers |
| George Ellery Hale Prize | Solar Physics Division, American Astronomical Society | United States | Outstanding contributions over an extended period of time to the field of solar astronomy |
| George Van Biesbroeck Prize | American Astronomical Society | United States | Long-term extraordinary or unselfish service to astronomy, often beyond the requirements of his or her paid position |
| Gerard P. Kuiper Prize | Division for Planetary Sciences, American Astronomical Society | United States | Outstanding lifetime achievement in the field of planetary science |
| Gordon A. McKay Award | Meteoritical Society | United States | Student who gives the best oral presentation at its annual meeting |
| Gordon Myers Amateur Achievement Award | Astronomical Society of the Pacific | United States | Significant contributions to astronomy or amateur astronomy by those not employed in the field of astronomy in a professional capacity |
| Gruber Prize in Cosmology | Gruber Foundation / International Astronomical Union | United States | Discoveries leading to fundamental advances in our understanding of the universe |
| Harold C. Urey Prize | Division for Planetary Sciences, American Astronomical Society | United States | Outstanding achievements in planetary science by a young scientist |
| Helen B. Warner Prize for Astronomy | American Astronomical Society | United States | Young astronomer (aged less than 36, or within 8 years of the award of their PhD) for a significant contribution to observational or theoretical astronomy |
| Henry Draper Medal | National Academy of Sciences | United States | For investigations in astronomical physics |
| Henry Norris Russell Lectureship | American Astronomical Society | United States | Lifetime of excellence in astronomical research |
| J. Lawrence Smith Medal | National Academy of Sciences | United States | Investigations of meteoric bodies |
| James Craig Watson Medal | National Academy of Sciences | United States | Contributions to astronomy |
| Jessberger Award | Meteoritical Society | United States | Outstanding research by a mid-career, female isotope geochemist |
| Jonathan Eberhart Planetary Sciences Journalism Award | Division for Planetary Sciences | United States | Recognize and stimulate distinguished popular writing on planetary sciences |
| Joseph Weber Award for Astronomical Instrumentation | American Astronomical Society | United States | Design, invention or significant improvement of instrumentation leading to advances in astronomy |
| Karen Harvey Prize | American Astronomical Society | United States | Significant contribution to the study of the Sun early in a person's professional career |
| Klumpke-Roberts Award | Astronomical Society of the Pacific | United States | Outstanding contributions to the public understanding and appreciation of astronomy |
| LeRoy E. Doggett Prize | American Astronomical Society | United States | Individuals who have significantly influenced the field of the history of astronomy by a career-long effort |
| Leonard Medal | Meteoritical Society | United States | Outstanding contributions to the science of meteoritics and closely allied fields |
| Leslie C. Peltier Award | Astronomical League | United States | Amateur astronomer who has contributed observations of lasting significance |
| Marc Aaronson Memorial Lectureship | University of Arizona | United States | Individual or group who ... has produced a body of work in observational astronomy which has resulted in a significant deepening of our understanding of the universe |
| Marcel Grossmann Award | International Center for Relativistic Astrophysics | Rome, Italy | Institutions and individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to astrophysics. |
| Masursky Award | Division for Planetary Sciences, American Astronomical Society | United States | Outstanding service to planetary science and exploration through engineering, managerial, programmatic, or public service activities |
| Meteoritical Society's Service Award | Meteoritical Society | United States | Promote research and education in meteoritics and planetary science in ways other than by conducting scientific research |
| National Prize for Exact Sciences | National Prize for Sciences | Chile | e.g., Astronomy, physics, mathematics |
| Newton Lacy Pierce Prize in Astronomy | American Astronomical Society | United States | Young (less than age 36) astronomer for outstanding achievement in observational astronomical research |
| Nier Prize | Meteoritical Society | United States | Outstanding research in meteoritics and closely allied fields by young scientists |
| Nininger Meteorite Award | Center for Meteorite Studies, Arizona State University | United States | Outstanding student achievement in the “Science of Meteoritics” as embodied by an original research paper |
| Paul Pellas-Graham Ryder Award | Meteoritical Society, Geological Society of America | United States | Best planetary science paper, published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, and written by an undergraduate or graduate student (as first author) |
| Petrie Prize Lecture | Canadian Astronomical Society | Canada | Outstanding astrophysicist |
| Richard H. Emmons Award | Astronomical Society of the Pacific | United States | Outstanding achievement in teaching college-level introductory astronomy classes for non-science majors. |
| Rittenhouse Medal | Rittenhouse Astronomical Society | United States | Outstanding achievement in the science of Astronomy |
| Robert J. Trumpler Award | Astronomical Society of the Pacific | United States | Recent recipient of the Ph.D degree whose thesis is judged particularly significant to astronomy |
| Vera Rubin Early Career Prize | Division on Dynamical Astronomy of the American Astronomical Society | United States | Excellence in dynamical astronomy |
| Whipple Award | Planetary Sciences Section, American Geophysical Union | United States | Outstanding contribution to the field of planetary science |

## Asia

| Award | Sponsor | Country | Notes |
| Aryabhata Award | Astronautical Society of India | India | Notable lifetime contributions in the field of astronautics and aerospace technology in India |
| Kyoto Prize in Basic Sciences | Inamori Foundation | Japan | Earth and planetary sciences, astronomy and astrophysics (one of four prizes) |
| Shaw Prize | Shaw Prize Foundation | Hong Kong | Outstanding contributions in astronomy, life science and medicine, and mathematical sciences |

## Europe

| Award | Sponsor | Country | Notes |
| Paolo Farinella Prize | Europlanet Society, European Science Foundation | Europe | Significant contributions in the fields of planetary sciences, space geodesy, fundamental physics, science popularization, security in space, weapons control, and disarmament |
| Tycho Brahe Prize | European Astronomical Society | Europe | Pioneering development or exploitation of European astronomical instrumentation, or major discoveries based largely on such instruments |
| Fritz Zwicky Prize for Astrophysics and Cosmology | European Astronomical Society | Europe | Those who have obtained fundamental and outstanding results related to astrophysics and/or cosmology |
| Janssen Medal | French Academy of Sciences | France | Those who have made advances in astrophysics |
| Lalande Prize | French Academy of Sciences | France | Scientific advances in astronomy (given from 1802 until 1970) |
| Prix Guzman | French Academy of Sciences | France | Person who succeeded in communicating with a celestial body, other than Mars, and receiving a response |
| Prix Jules Janssen | Société astronomique de France | France | French astronomer or astronomer of another nationality in recognition of astronomical work in general, or for services rendered to Astronomy |
| Valz Prize | French Academy of Sciences | France | Advances in astronomy (given from 1877 until 1970) |
| Karl Schwarzschild Medal | Astronomische Gesellschaft | Germany | Eminent astronomers and astrophysicists |
| Ludwig Biermann Award | Astronomische Gesellschaft | Germany | Outstanding young astronomer |
| Kavli Prize | Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters | Norway | Outstanding contributions in Astrophysics (one of three prizes) |
| Friedmann Prize | Russian Academy of Sciences | Russia | Outstanding work in cosmology and gravity. |
| Balzan Prize | International Balzan Prize Foundation | Switzerland | Outstanding achievements in the fields of humanities, natural sciences, culture, as well as for endeavours for peace and the brotherhood of man |
| Eddington Medal | Royal Astronomical Society | United Kingdom | Investigations of outstanding merit in theoretical astrophysics |
| George Darwin Lectureship | Royal Astronomical Society | United Kingdom | Distinguished and eloquent speaker on the subject of Astronomy including astrochemistry, astrobiology and astroparticle physics |
| Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society | Royal Astronomical Society | United Kingdom | Achievement in astronomy or geophysics |
| Herschel Medal | Royal Astronomical Society | United Kingdom | Investigations of outstanding merit in observational astrophysics |
| Jackson-Gwilt Medal | Royal Astronomical Society | United Kingdom | Invention, improvement, or development of astronomical instrumentation or techniques; achievement in observational astronomy |
| Price Medal | Royal Astronomical Society | United Kingdom | Investigations of outstanding merit in solid-earth geophysics, oceanography, or planetary sciences |
| Tyson Medal | University of Cambridge | United Kingdom | Student award for best proficient in Mathematics and Astronomy |

## Oceania

| Award | Sponsor | Country | Notes |
| Bok Prize | Astronomical Society of Australia / Australian Academy of Science | Australia | Outstanding research in astronomy by an honours student at an Australian university |