British Astronomical Association

Supporting amateur astronomers since 1890

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Frank Wilsenham Hyde (1909-1984): Radio astronomer extraordinaire!

Frank 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.

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128-1 di Giovanni

Lunar eclipse brightness and the terrestrial atmosphere

This 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.

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128-1 callum teaser

From the President

Highlights of 2017Looking back at 2017 it was perhaps not the most outstanding year for astronomical phenomena, but the highlight

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