Hi Steve & David,
I agree a spectroscopy section or sub-section would be great. I’m certain this will be a prime topic of discussion at Sidmouth but good to discuss it on the forum as well. The observations on the forum have so far been of variable stars and meteors, not forgetting David Boyd’s excellent journal papers on variable star spectra. There are of course a wide range of other targets which BAA members may be interested in from solar system targets, to nebulae and perhaps the Sun.
How to approach this is tricky. I think a section in its own right would be good, if it had close ties with other sections. Though running a section is a non-trivial task, as well as of course requiring Council approval. Perhaps a sub-section would be easier to setup, but I guess by definition more limited in scope. With either option, the transition from informal online gathering to a group would require volunteers to answer enquiries and do the admin. The timing of Sidmouth is ideal as this will give a good indication of the amount of interest.
A related item up for discussion will be whether the BAA (and/or VSS) should create its own database for spectra. Similar to BeSS, but perhaps covering a wider range of objects. As the creator of the VSS online database, I’ve already had this idea floated in my direction..
Just a few of my thoughts!
Andy