Frequently asked questions

People who are interested in astronomy, science learning, outreach or contributing to LAS activities may apply. You do not need to be a professional astronomer. Applicants under 18 must confirm that a parent or guardian knows about the application and agrees that LAS may contact them.

Create an account, verify your email, submit the membership application, complete the introductory astronomy assessment, attend an interview and wait for the final LAS administrative decision. Your dashboard shows the stage you have reached.

No. Submitting an application or passing the assessment does not create automatic membership. LAS reviews each completed application, arranges an interview and makes the final approval decision.

No. The current LAS online membership application does not request a membership fee or collect payment information. Do not send money in response to unofficial messages; confirm any future membership notice through the portal or the official LAS email address.

It is a 15-question introductory astronomy assessment. You must answer every question and score at least 8 out of 15 to move to the interview and administrative review stage.

Yes. The portal allows you to review the basics and try the assessment again. Your dashboard will show the retake option after an unsuccessful attempt.

Your application moves to the interview and LAS review stage. LAS will contact you using the details in your application. Passing the assessment alone does not mean that the application has been approved.

Timing varies because interviews and final decisions are handled by the LAS team. Keep your contact information current and check your dashboard and email for updates. LAS does not promise an exact decision date.

Email verification protects your account and confirms that LAS can contact the correct applicant. You must verify your email before submitting the membership application.

Check your spam or junk folder first. Then sign in to the LAS membership dashboard and use the option to send another verification email. The dashboard also includes help for completing verification from the full link in the Firebase email.

Yes. Your membership account keeps the application and progress connected. Sign back in with the same email address and continue from your dashboard.

Sign in to the membership dashboard. It shows whether your email is verified, the application is complete, the assessment result is recorded and the final LAS review has been completed.

LAS requests the contact, background, interest and participation details needed to review and administer membership. The portal does not request identity-document uploads or collect payment information.

You become an approved member only after the interview and final LAS administrative decision. The approval will be recorded in the membership portal.

LAS assigns an official number to an approved member. The format is LAS-MEM-YEAR-NUMBER, for example LAS-MEM-2026-001. Applicants should not create their own membership number.

The certificate becomes available in your dashboard after LAS approves the application and assigns your official membership number. Use the certificate page's print option and select Save as PDF to download it.

Yes. A previously accepted member can receive a certificate after LAS confirms the approved record and assigns an official membership number in the portal.