Selecting a limited number of astronomers for short biographical notes may be somewhat invidious. However, the list given here includes most of the great pioneers and researchers. No astronomers still living at the time of writing are included. All dates are AD unless otherwise stated.

Abul Wafa, Mohammed. 959–88. Last of the famous Baghdad school of astronomers. He wrote a book called Almagest, a summary of Ptolemy's great work, also called the Almagest, in Arabic.

Adams, John Couch. 1819–92. English astronomer, born in Lidcot, Cornwall. He graduated brilliantly from Cambridge in 1843, but had already formulated a plan to search for a new planet by studying the perturbations of Uranus. By 1845, his results were ready, but no quick search was made, and the actual discovery was due to calculations by U. Le Verrier. Later he became Director of the Cambridge Observatory, and worked upon lunar acceleration, the orbit of the Leonid meteor shower, and upon various other investigations.

Airy, George Biddell. 1801–92. English astronomer. Born in Northumberland, he graduated from Cambridge 1823 and was Professor of Astronomy there (1826–35). On becoming Astronomer Royal (1835–81) he totally reorganised the Greenwich Observatory and raised it to its present eminence. He re-equipped the Observatory and ensured that the best use was made of its instruments; it is ironical that he is probably best remembered for his failure to instigate a prompt search for Neptune when receiving Adams' calculations.