Françoise Combes is a French astrophysicist and a specialist in the formation and evolution of galaxies. Her research interests focus on the structure of galaxies and their interactions based on theory, numerical simulations and observations. She also studies the interstellar medium in galaxies, in particular the molecular gas that gives rise to stars, and is interested in dark matter. She is a professor at the Collège de France and a member of the French Academy of Sciences.
During his tenure as president of SAF from 1895 to 1897, the famous astronomer Jules Janssen (1824-1907) created several awards for the society, the best known and most prestigious being that which bears his name.
The ceremony took place during a conference celebrating SAF’s 130 years of service to astronomy, which was hosted by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation in its Henri-Poincaré amphitheater.
The awards were bestowed by previous laureates Suzy Collin-Zahn and Jean-Claude Vial to, respectively, Françoise Combes and John Leibacher.
Founded by Camille Flammarion, the Société astronomique de France is celebrating its 130th anniversary this year. Bringing together professional and amateur astronomers since its inception, SAF holds a unique place in history in spreading what we now call the sciences of the universe to the greatest possible audience.