Federal Funding of Astronomical Research (2000)

American Astronomical Society (AAS) membership figures (see Table B.1 ) are from K. Marvel and R. Milkey and are taken from the Bulletin of the AAS. There are differences in sampling dates between the 1980s and late 1990s. In the 1980s, the figures refer to membership as of the end of the calendar year; in the late 1990s, the membership was sampled for the June AAS meeting and does not include membership renewals and applications that arrived later in the year. In 1988, the AAS changed its fulfillment system and the numbers are not available. The small increase in membership in 1995 is due in part to a special two-year AAS program, AASTRA, to enroll K-12 science teachers by giving them free or reduced-rate membership. The number of AASTRA members is now essentially zero.

Full members of the AAS generally have Ph.D.s. Associate, emeritus, and corporate members are included in the total membership figure. These numbers are slightly different from those in the 1991 Decadal Report because they have not been corrected downward by the estimated fraction of AAS members who are foreign. In the 1991 Decadal Report, the fraction of foreign members was estimated to be approximately 18 percent. In 1998, the fractions of full and total foreign membership were 19 percent and 15 percent, respectively. U.S. membership was determined strictly by country of residence, not by citizenship, because the AAS membership database does not currently contain citizenship information.

The committee reiterates that the more detailed AAS membership breakdown by field and discipline was done for U.S. members only.

Note also that AAS membership varies with time during the year as membership renewals arrive. The bulk of the membership renews by the January 1 start of the membership year; however, new memberships and renewals come in throughout the rest of the year. Until 1993, the membership numbers are those quoted for the end of the year in the Executive Office report for the January meeting. Starting in 1994, membership totals are reported at the June meeting of the society, so some of the decline between 1993 and 1994 represents the reporting date. Almost all members renew by the June meeting.