Journal contents items – Page 89 – British Astronomical Association

Report of the Council and Accounts for the session 2016-2017

Observing Sunspots from 1958 to 2015

This paper describes methods and long-term observations of sunspots made between 1958 and 2015, an interval covering more than 5 solar cycles.

Jupiter’s South Equatorial Belt cycle in 2009–2011: II. The SEB Revival

A Revival of Jupiter’s South Equatorial Belt (SEB) is an organised disturbance on a grand scale. It starts with a single vigorous outbreak, from which energetic storms and disturbances spread around the planet in the different zonal currents. The Revival that began in 2010 was better observed than any before it. The observations largely validate the historical descriptions of these events: the major features portrayed therein, albeit at lower resolution, are indeed the large structural features described here.

Mapping the infrared thermal emission from the surface of Venus, 2017 April-May

Employing a novel narrow-band filter technique, Australian BAA observers Phil Miles & Anthony Wesley have been able to achieve a new level of resolution for amateur imaging of the infrared thermal emission from the nightside of Venus. In addition to revealing topographic details, images from 2017 April-May reveal at least one compact, infrared-bright spot located within a topographic depression upon the surface. We discuss the interpretation of this bright spot, and the question of whether it was or was not a temporary feature.