The Journal of the British Astronomical Association, 2017 February

Volume 127, Number 1

In this issue we have the 2016 Presidential Address, and a fine historical paper about Eliot Merlin of Merlin Medal fame. And why not have a go at the ever-popular 'Messier Marathon'?

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Contents 1 Front cover 2 Contents 3 Notes and News 3 From the President Jeremy Shears 4 BAA members offered use of the SHA Library James Dawson 4 Solar Section update Lyn Smith 7 Newly discovered planetary drawings by Warren de la Rue and others Richard McKim 8 Auroral activity, 2016 Oct 20–Dec 25 Sandra Brantingham 8 Name change for the Saturn Section Mike Foulkes 9 Reluctant recurrent nova in M31 finally revealed David Boyd 9 South African visitor at Burlington House Jeremy Shears 10 From the Journal archive John Chuter 10 The Joy Griffiths Award for 2017 Bob Mizon 11 Launch of the BAA spectroscopy database Andy Wilson 12 Staying ahead of the curve: progress in British variable star astronomy Jeremy Shears 23 AR 12536: An unusual bipolar sunspot group Peter Meadows 25 A. A. C. Eliot Merlin: a brief biography Richard McKim 33 The brighter comets of 2009 Jonathan Shanklin 42 Observation and analysis of the new W -type W UMa eclipsing binary star VSX J053024.8+842243 David Boyd 48 Observers' Forum 48 The first UK workshop on amateur support for the Twinkle/ARIEL space missions Richard Miles 49 Charles Messier’s deep sky challenge Callum Potter 50 Amateur detection of Uranus’ rings David Arditti 51 BAA Update 51 Annual General Meeting, 2016 October 26 Hazel McGee 54 Letters 54 Ordinary Meeting, 2016 October 26 Hazel McGee 56 Ewen A. Whitaker, 1922-2016 Bill Leatherbarrow & Richard Baum 57 The BAA Spectroscopy Workshop, Newbury, 2016 October 28−30 David Boyd 58 Vinicio Barocas (1914-2016) Denis Buczynski 59 BAA Trustees and Council, 2015-2016 59 The BAA Awards and Medals for 2017 Bill Tarver 60 Sky Notes: 2017 February & March Brian Mills 62 Notice board 65 Index to Volume 126 (2016) R.A. Marriott