Emden was a member of the Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften from 1920 to 1933. In 1924 he became honorary professor of astrophysics at the University of Munich. In 1930 Emden assisted in the founding of Zeitschrift fur Astrophysik and served as the editor for six years. On 10 June 1932 he became an Associate of the Royal Astronomical Society. He retired in 1934.