For those who are not familiar with astronomy, the AAS is the scientific society for professional astronomers. It was founded in 1899. Our mission is to support astronomy and closely related disciplines. The Society was originally founded to provide a venue for the communication of research results in astronomy and astrophysics.

Throughout the life of the Society, the enabling of communication among astronomers has remained the primary goal. Our mission is not simply to publish journals, and we do not depend upon journal income to finance the other programs of the Society.