Papers – Page 25 – British Astronomical Association

Changes in the spectrum of Z Ursae Majoris during its rise through a maximum in 2014 June

The semiregular variable Z UMa experienced a particularly deep minimum at the end of 2014 March, followed by a three-month rise to maximum.

Early research on the effects of solar eclipses on radio propagation

Research prompted by a slide included in a recent presentation recalling some of the contents of the archives of the Radio Society of Great Britain. This mentioned the involvement of the radio astronomy community in a study of radio propagation conditions a few days either side of the 1927 total solar eclipse.

A seldom-reported lighting phenomenon in the Cichus-Weiss region of the Moon

A brief note in relation to a strange lighting effect captured during sunrise over the Cichus-Weiss region of the Moon by Thomas Gwyn Empy Elger in 1888. A comparable observation made by the author in 2009 is discussed and assessed against recent CCD imagery. These comparisons confirm that the effect which led to Elger’s report is repeated under comparable conditions, and his original hypothesis in relation to the nature of the feature can now be clarified.

Thomas G.E. Elger — a Victorian populariser of selenography

A biographical sketch of the first Director of the Association’s Lunar Section, Thomas Gwyn Empy Elger (1836-1897). His diverse contributions to lunar studies are placed in context and reviewed against the backdrop of developments and advances in the subject during his lifetime. The methodology he consolidated and developed for amateur selenographical work during his Directorship is also discussed in relation to current studies.

Index to Volume 124 (2014)

The brighter comets of 2004

This report describes and analyses observations of the brighter or interesting comets discovered or at perihelion during 2004, concentrating on those with visual observations. Details of other comets seen during the year may be found on the Section web page, though they have not been analysed to the same level.

Domes in northern Mare Tranquillitatis near the craters Vitruvius G & M

Morphometric analysis and mode of formation

Photometric and spectroscopic observations of the 2014 eclipse of the complex binary system EE Cephei

We report photometric and spectroscopic observations of the 2014 eclipse of EE Cep. This proved to be one of the shallower eclipses on record rather than one of the deepest as predicted.

Harold Knox-Shaw and the Helwan Observatory

Harold Knox-Shaw worked at the Helwan Observatory, Egypt, from 1907 to 1924. The Observatory was equipped with a 30-inch (76 cm) reflector that was financed and constructed by the Birmingham industrialist, John Reynolds (1874-1949), to benefit from the clearer skies and more southerly latitude compared with Britain.

A fireball over central Scotland on 2013 October 14

On the evening of 2013 October 14 several fireballs were reported over the British Isles. One was observed and imaged at 20:42 UTC over central Scotland and is notable for the smoke trail it deposited in the upper atmosphere. This trail persisted for at least 13 mins. and its evolution was recorded in a series of still images. This paper details the observations and provides an analysis based on the available imagery and witness reports. The possibility of a near simultaneous fireball over the Irish Sea is also discussed.