Overview

• Michele Dougherty succeeds Martin Rees after his 30-year tenure as the first woman to hold the UK Astronomer Royal post since its 1675 creation by Charles II.
• As principal investigator of Cassini’s magnetometer, Dougherty’s analysis uncovered water vapor on Saturn’s moon Enceladus, pointing to possible habitability.
• She directed Imperial College London’s Department of Physics from 2018 to 2024 and remains a professor of space physics at the institution.
• Dougherty contributed to ESA’s JUICE mission launched in 2023, which is scheduled to arrive at Jupiter’s icy moons in 2032.
• Upon assuming her duties, she emphasized creating inclusive environments in STEM and using public outreach to highlight astronomy’s real-world impacts.