George Biddell Airy

Sir George Biddell Airy (27 July 1801–2 January 1892) was an English mathematician and astronomer, Astronomer Royal from 1835 to 1881. His many achievements include work on planetary orbits, measuring the mean density of the Earth, a method of solution of two-dimensional problems in solid mechanics and, in his role as Astronomer Royal, establishing Greenwich at the location of the prime meridian. His reputation has been tarnished by allegations that, through his inaction, Britain lost the opportunity of priority in the discovery of Neptune.

 Other websites 


 Awarding of RAS gold medal, 1833: MNRAS 2 (1833) 159
 Awarding of RAS gold medal, 1846: MNRAS 7 (1846) 64


 Full texts of some of the papers by Airy are available at Gallica: bibliothèque numérique de la Bibliothèque nationale de France

Category:1801 births
Category:1892 deaths
Category:19th-century British people
Category:English mathematicians
Category:English astronomers
Category:Alumni of the University of Cambridge
Category:Knights Bachelor
Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath
Category:Order of the Bath
Category:People from Northumberland
Category:Presidents of the Royal Society