The BAA Aurora & NLC section was formed in 1899, 9 years after the founding of the BAA. It was then called The Zodiacal Light Section. In 1906 It joined with the Meteor Section but left to become the Aurora and Zodiacal Light Section in 1911. This name continued until 1969 when it became The Aurora Section. It became part of the Solar Section in 1976, but left again to become the Aurora Section in 1982. The last change to the name was in 2016 when it became The Aurora and Noctilucent Cloud Section. Its purpose has been for over a century to encourage amateur observers and provided an outlet for the results of their work.

BAA Aurora and Noctilucent Cloud Section Directors

P. B. Molesworth (1899-1901) (Zodiacal Light Section)

H. O. Barnard (1901-1905) (Zodiacal Light Section)

Joined with Meteor Section (1906-1911)

Gavin Burns (1911-1928) (Aurora and Zodiacal Light Section)

W. B. Houseman (1928-1951) (Aurora and Zodiacal Light Section)

James Paton (1952-1973) (Aurora and Zodiacal Light Section- to Aurora Section in 1969)

J. Bennett McInnes (1974-1976) (Aurora Section)

Joined with Solar Section (1976-1982)

Ronald J. Livesey (1982-2005) (Aurora Section)

Dr David Gavine (2006-2010) (Aurora Section)

Kenneth Kennedy (2011-2016) (Aurora Section)

Sandra Brantingham (2016 – ) (Aurora and Noctilucent Cloud Section)

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