Papers – Page 18 – British Astronomical Association

Franz von Paula Gruithuisen (1774− 1852) and the ‘Lost City in the Moon’

In the early hours of the morning of July 12 in the year 1822, Franz von Paula Gruithuisen (1774–1852) turned his small telescope to the Moon. What greeted him at the eyepiece, in the environs of the crater named Schroeter, was nothing short of a revelation. The jumbled terrain, caught under raking illumination, coalesced into a regular arrangement which convinced the astronomer he had discovered evidence that the Moon was inhabited….

The BAA Memoirs: an introduction

With 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.

The first recorded aurora australis?

This paper presents evidence for a probable aurora australis report and persistent recurrent solar activity in the year 1580.

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.

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.

The brighter comets of 2011

This report describes and analyses the observations of the brighter or more interesting comets discovered or at perihelion during 2011, concentrating on those with visual observations. Magnitude parameters are given for all comets with observations. Any evolution in the magnitude parameters of those periodic comets with multiple returns is discussed. Additional information on the comets discussed here and on other comets seen or at perihelion during the year may be found on the Section visual observations web pages.

The dialyte refractor revisited

By embracing 21st century design technology, the dialyte telescope concept now offers apochromatic performance using inexpensive glass types, with the benefits of low cost, very light weight, rapid cool-down times, and atmospheric dispersion control. Much larger apertures than with traditional technologies are now feasible.

A lunar dome north-east of the crater Goclenius

In this study we examine a lunar dome identified using CCD terrestrial images, LROC WAC images, Clementine multispectral data, Chandrayaan-1’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3), and the LROC WAC-based GLD100 DTM. The dome lies to the north-east of the crater Goclenius, in mare Fecunditatis, and has a base diameter of 35km. Its height amounts to 212m and the average slope angle x corresponds to 0.70°.

Saturn, 2003-2004

During 2003-’04, with Saturn at perihelion, the rings were fully open upon the south face allowing excellent views of the southern hemisphere and up to 12 belts. Since 2002-’03 there had been an obvious darkening of the S. Polar Region, though the existing lighter area in the centre of the S. Polar Cap had become more conspicuous. Spot activity was noted over a wide range of latitudes from the N. edge of the S. Polar Cap to the southern Equatorial Zone. The occultation of the star SAO 78867 by the rings and globe was witnessed by several observers in the UK and USA.

The colour and temperature evolution of the plateau phase of SN 2012aw in Messier 95

BVRI and unfiltered MicroObservatory CCD observations of SN 2012aw covering up to 124 days following the explosion of the supernova are reported together with observations submitted to the BAA VSS Online Database. The photometry shows a plateau in the R and I passbands lasting ~100 days and gradual declines in brightness in the B, V and clear passbands over the same period.