The American Astronomical Society (AAS), established 1899, is the major organization of professional astronomers in North America. The basic objective of the AAS is to promote the advancement of astronomy and closely related branches of science. The membership (~6,500) also includes physicists, mathematicians, geologists, engineers and others whose research interests lie within the broad spectrum of subjects now comprising contemporary astronomy.
The Astronomical Journal
Founded in 1849 by Benjamin A. Gould, the AJ publishes original astronomical research, with an emphasis on significant scientific results derived from observations, including descriptions of data capture, surveys, analysis techniques, and astrophysical interpretation. It takes a broad view of astronomy, extending from the solar system to observational cosmology with a tradition of papers discussing dynamical processes. The AJ serves an international community that includes authors, scientists and students through efficient and accessible communication of the science and associated techniques.
The Astrophysical Journal
Begun in 1895 by George E. Hale and James E. Keeler, The Astrophysical Journal is the foremost research journal in the world devoted to recent developments, discoveries, and theories in astronomy and astrophysics. Many of the classic discoveries of the twentieth century have first been reported in the Journal, which has also presented much of the important recent work on quasars, pulsars, neutron stars, black holes, solar and stellar magnetic fields, X-rays, and interstellar matter. The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series has been published since 1953 in conjunction with the Journal.
BULLETIN OF THE AAS
The Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society publishes abstracts from Society and Division meetings, the annual report of the Society, obituaries of Society members and scholarly articles related to astronomy as a discipline. It is published in a single volume per year, with differing numbers of issues based on the number of meetings.