BAA Amateurs successful in publishing a new paper in the MNRAS

[Mr Ian David Sharp]

I’m thrilled and proud to report that the ALTAIR Group has successfully published another paper in the MNRAS. The ALTAIR group is made up of 4 members of the BAA – myself, David Pulley, John Mallett and Sebastian von Harrach.

We specialise in the study of exoplanets that may exists around certain Post Common Envelope binary (PCEB) systems, although we are becoming renowned for showing that previously published models do not hold water for very long!

The paper is free to read here: https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/544/1/24/8268884

This is the culmination of 3 years of hard work (since our paper in 2022) and 355 new times of minima for the 7 PCEB systems in this study. It is a continuation of the group’s work which has been active since 2010. More information about our work and previous papers are available here on our website: https://altairebsrg.pythonanywhere.com/about

[Jeremy Shears]

Congratulations Ian, David, John & Sebastian – a great result!

We like to encourage members who publish in a professional Journal to write a short, accessible, summary for the BAA Journal’s news column, highlighting their work and findings. The team has done this previously, iirc, and would be welcome to do so again.

Do contact me offline if you need additional guidance.

[Mr Ian David Sharp]

Jeremy Shears wrote:

The team has done this previously, iirc, and would be welcome to do so again.

Thanks Jeremy,

We would like to do that again…will be in touch.

Ian.

[Richard Miles]

This is such a great contribution and a well-presented paper in the bargain.
I welcome having a summary and link published in the Journal Notes and News as suggested by Jeremy.
It should encourage others to follow suit by publishing in the MNRAS, which does not have page charges and is open-access.

Nice addition too in the last line of the text: “Lastly, we remember our colleague Americo Watkins who sadly passed away in 2025 June.” I hope to have Eric’s obituary published in the February issue of the Journal.

[Mr Ian David Sharp]

Richard Miles wrote:

It should encourage others to follow suit by publishing in the MNRAS, which does not have page charges and is open-access.

Thanks Richard,

We had to plead poverty to have the charges waived!

Cheers
Ian.

[Richard Miles]

Ian – re. the charges, I was going from memory but apparently, since open-access became the norm for the MNRAS, I have been advised that page charges are usually thousands of pounds and these charges are usually paid by the organisation or funding body of one or more of the professional authors. But like you say, as an amateur one can plead poverty and have the charges waived, which rightly so were waived for you guys. Well done on avoiding the charges.

Your success in this instance is a good lesson for all amateur astronomers.

Clear skies,
Richard

[Dr Paul Leyland]

I shouldn’t boast but will do anyway. 😉

I am also a co-author of a paper in MNRAS, https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/479/1/1401/5035837 to be precise.

Beware: unless you know at least a little about quantum chemistry and molecular spectroscopy it will not make very much sense to you. That is why it is quite unsuitable material for me to boast about in JBAA. Doubtless there are numerous members who can say the same thing.

Paul

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