Absolute Beginners No 12. The motion of the planets
Paul guides us through the way the planets move
Read morePaul guides us through the way the planets move
Read moreWith the publication of a DVD set of the BAA Memoirs during 2017, a short historical review of these publications seems timely. Most of the Memoirs presented the longer reports of the Observing Sections of the Association, and until just after World War II they were issued fairly frequently, with several numbers appearing every session. From the 1950s they became one-off publications, produced on increasingly rare occasions, with Section reports mostly appearing in the Journal. This article explains how these changes came about, and attempts to give an idea of the diverse nature of this series of lesser-known BAA publications.
Read moreThis paper presents evidence for a probable aurora australis report and persistent recurrent solar activity in the year 1580.
Read moreFrank Wilsenham Hyde was a popular character in the BAA from 1957 to 1966, receiving the Association’s Merlin Medal in 1963 and serving briefly as the Editor of the Journal from 1963 November to 1965 December. His extraordinary Radio Astronomy Observatory was the most advanced amateur facility in the UK during the 1960s, and the media even described it as ‘a miniature Jodrell Bank’. However, increasing financial problems led to his dramatic exit from the Association and the dismantling of his observatory in 1967.
Read moreThis work presents a study of the brightness of 164 lunar eclipses which were observed between 1670 and 2015. Data were analysed via four equations, which we refer to as the Formulae of Colle Leone, named after the observatory with which the author is associated. Attention is given to the quantity of ozone in the stratosphere and to the total optical depth of the atmosphere. The optical depth is correlated with both volcanic phenomena and human activities. No evidence of a correlation was found between the optical depth and solar activity.
Read moreThe recurrent nova M31N 2008-12a in M31, the Andromeda galaxy, has intrigued professional astronomers for some years. With a recurrence
Read moreLet us return for a moment to the London of 1942 April, in order to attend a meeting of the
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