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Fellows Directory

Martin Rees

Martin Rees

The Lord Rees of Ludlow Martin Rees OM Kt HonFREng FRS

Fellow

Elected: 1979

Biography

Martin Rees is a leading astrophysicist as well as a senior figure in UK science. He has conducted influential theoretical work on subjects as diverse as black hole formation and extragalactic radio sources, and provided key evidence to contradict the Steady State theory of the evolution of the Universe.

Martin was also one of the first to predict the uneven distribution of matter in the Universe, and proposed observational tests to determine the clustering of stars and galaxies. Much of his most valuable research has focused on the end of the so-called cosmic dark ages — a period shortly after the Big Bang when the Universe was as yet without light sources.

As Astronomer Royal and a Past President of the Royal Society, Martin is a prominent scientific spokesperson and the author of seven books of popular science. After receiving a knighthood in 1992 for his services to science, he was elevated to the title of Baron Rees of Ludlow in 2005.

Interest and expertise

Subject groups

  • Astronomy and physics
    • Astronomy

Awards

  • Bakerian Medal and Lecture

    On 'Galaxies and their nuclei'.

  • Balzan Prize

    For high energy astrophysics.

  • Blackett and Jagdish Chandra Bose Memorial Lectures

    On 'Our final century- will civilisation survive?'.

  • Crafoord Prize

    In the field of astronomy for understanding the large-scale structure of the Universe.

  • Michael Faraday Prize and Lecture

    On 'Einstein's legacy as a scientist and icon'.

  • Rutherford Memorial Lecture

    Given in New Zealand.

  • UK-Canada Rutherford Lecture

    On 'The mystery of gamma-ray bursts'.

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