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Mary Ashley’s notebooks that are in our archive are currently being scanned and once done we hope to have them available to see online via the archive website. If you are a member you will be able to view them.
There is a webops meeting next week where I can raise this matter. I think this can easily be done.
As you have also mentioned, the new website will be able to index documents, automatically, which will be a very large improvement to the current website. This is certainly the case with journals but I need to check if that will also apply to all other PDFs as well.
A little while ago I put together a document with links to many parts of the website where there are materials which I would regard as archives. I mentioned this in one of my archive pieces in the journal, https://britastro.org/jbaa/pdf_cut/jbaa_26268.pdf
This is the document https://britastro.org/system/files/BAA%20Archives_1.pdf
The digitization of our archives, with them then being made available to members, is something I have been working for since becoming archivist. As an example of this I uploaded all the handbooks back to 1922 some time ago, after Sheridan sent them to me. I do not have the circular scans but it would be a simple matter to upload them once I do have, plus the other material mentioned.
There is much more that could, and should, be done. Most sections have archive material. Some, but definitely not all, is online. These section archives are not within my control.
A quick trawl for the book shows it’s all but unobtainable for less than silly money for the 1st edition.
When I was looking for it a few years back I paid about £14 for the 1968 edition thinking that £68 I think it was for the 1st edition was a bit steep. Seems like I should have bought it as it sells for about 30 times more than that now, if you were silly enough.
Hard to believe it’s the film that’s caused this inflation.
1968
The first edition seems to be considerably more expensive. Are there any major differences? On ‘tinternet it suggests that the book became recognised as a reference text which prompted the reprint and also that Basil would welcome some more income.
Thanks Bill.
Useful and interesting link.
We Decided to watch it on Netflix. Hadn’t made the connection until I realised I’d had his book for several years! Google provided the BAA link and that it was one and the same Basil Brown, just before the telescope appeared.
I belong to another forum which has discussed this disappointing news. I stopped subscribing a while ago for many of the reasons already stated.
Some posts on the other forum have been giving links that may be of interest to those of us who find digital content useful, as I do.
This one goes to archive.org which are the PDFs of 1625 past copies of S&T
This one is to an index as a spreadsheet which is quite good if not in complete detail
https://s22380.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/stindex-thru-December-2018.xls
Still available on the S&T website are DVDs of ‘The Sky’ and ‘The Telescope’ which were two separate publications prior to their merging in the early 1940s into S&T.
https://www.shopatsky.com/sale-clearance
The link above shows the two mentioned along with many other items, one of which, interestingly, is the BAA sky chart prepared by Wil Tirion some years ago now!
It appears that the DVDs that were once on sale with many old S&Ts are not now available.
Hopefully this is of interest to some members.
As mentioned,I find digital content very useful as it can be readily searched in this computer age, for items of interest, but I also enjoy collecting the ‘old fashioned‘ paper versions as well, mainly books, but that is for another thread.
It has been pleasing to see that this challenge has generated interest, both in debate and in observations. This was always the intention and I have also learned things I was not aware of astronomically which, as mentioned, is why I’m a member etc.
The challenge was not meant as a UK based challenge and that is not inferred anywhere in my piece. So it is doubly pleasing that observations are coming in from well outside the UK.
There are always differences of opinion, both here and on other fora. The level of expertise also varies enormously but that is to be expected and not, in my opinion, something to use as a criticism of other internet fora. The more useful tack would be to correct errors and impart knowledge when it is apparent that someone doesn‘t understand something. Of course, the manner in which this is done is important.
Maintaining my membership of the BAA is one way that I have of continually learning about this fascinating hobby. If you were able to elucidate further on your previous reply regarding the orbit etc then I and others may further learn about Sirius and it’s Pup. In this way this debate is achieving its purpose. Your reply certainly indicates that you are able to do so. In fact I am confident that you can as, of course, I am aware of who you are and your expertise in many astronomical matters.
Please note that this is designated as an Observer’s Challenge. The challenge is to try and observe the Pup, should anyone decide to try and do so. There is no compulsion. In this respect it seems that it is possibe to do so, witness images and other replies earlier in this thread. The use of the word ‘challenge’, also indicates that it is not meant to be easy.
As mentioned it was decided to give this as a challenge by the group of people who manage the website, the ’webops’ group as we call ourselves. I volunteered to write the challenge. As you will see, challenges are put up regularly, as are tutorials etc etc. This is part of the the group‘s strategy to make the website a dymamic site that engages its members and seeks to encourage new members.
i have not personally observed the pup but then I have never tried. You are correct that I amended the article but I also said in my reply to Owen that a debate about this would be useful and that has indeed proved and is proving to be the case. I also stated that I did not regard myself as an experienced observer. Do I need to be to be a member of the BAA? There are many reasons why people choose to be a member of the BAA.
This does not detract from the issuing of the challenge as it is evident, to me at least, that this is not an impossible challenge with modest equipment and as is evidenced by the replies above.
It was decided to set this as a challenge. I have not, or ever professed to being, an experienced visual or anything else, observer.
If it leads to a debate then that in itself is a good thing.
Let us see where this debate and the actual challenge goes before coming to any definitive conclusions.
I learn something new every day. It will be a sad day when that stops being the case.
I have many favourites but the one that got me interested at the age of 7 was ‘The Larousse Encyclopaedia of Astronomy’
I read it from cover to cover and being mathematically inclined, could not get over the enormous scale of it all.
Still true today, some 58 years later
John C
Expenses are paid and I believe you need to have been a member for two years.
Re publication of minutes.
This needs to be reviewed in the light of minutes now being produced for both Board of Trustees meetings as well as council meetings. They are held in Burlington House but it is not a practical solution for many members to visit just to read the minutes. There are other ways of distributing minutes in this modern communication age. This whole area needs discussion.
