The Journal of the British Astronomical Association
Volume 105, No.6: 1995 December
List of Contents
On this page: Notes and News / Articles / Letters / Reviews / Meetings / Observers' Forum
Notes and News
From the President / Comet prospects for 1996 / Solar Section / Aurora Section / Subramanyan Chandrasekhar dies
Articles
The total solar eclipse of 1999 August 11 ... Peter Macdonald
The total eclipse in 1999 has been keenly anticipated for many years. This paper summarises the circumstances of the eclipse in the British Isles and across Europe.
An outline map of Cornwall showing the principal towns in relation to the track of totality. The dotted lines show the limits of the belt where the period of totality is approximately four seconds less than on the central line. (55 Kb)
The meteorological conditions for observing the total solar eclipse of 1999 August 11 from sites in Cornwall ... Howard Miles
This paper describes the track of the totality belt across Cornwall for the solar eclipse of 1999 August 11. To provide an indication of the possible weather conditions to be expected, past weather records are given for various locations within the Duchy. Suggestions are made for the most favourable sites for observing the event.
(Both articles together 6pp)
Comet analyses ... J. D. Shanklin
The first of a series of papers describing BAA Comet Section observations of comets appears in this issue of the Journal. This paper describes the tables and procedures used in these papers in greater detail.
(4pp)
Comet Levy 1990c ... J. D. Shanklin
Over 700 observations of this comet by BAA members are presented and analysed. (6pp)
The western floor of the lunar formation Schickard ... Keith W. Abineri
The highly complex structure of this region of the lunar surface appears to be due to a combination of extensive fissuring, rifting, primary impact cratering, secondary impact cratering and the flooding of large areas with basaltic lava. The modification of part of the floor of Schickard by early secondary impact cratering has been attributed to the massive expulsion of ejecta from the very large Mare Orientale event. However the current distribution of both major and minor features, and their resulting structures, suggests a more complicated history. Using techniques described previously in the Journal, photo-mosaics and detailed drawings have been prepared from the Schickard Orbiter IV HR160/2A microfilm frame, using low power photomicrography and microscopy with a Nikon microscope.
(7pp)
Short papers
A simplified method for designing an 18 point flotation system for primary mirror cells ... Norman Fisher (2pp)
Naked-eye observations of Venus in daylight ... Edward L. Ellis (2pp)
Centenaries for 1996 ... Barry Hetherington (2pp)
.
(Copies of any of these articles may be ordered from the BAA office.)
Letters
- The starry sky and one's favourite books ... Philip Hurst
- Two English impact structures? ... R. L. Stratford
Read the letters here (8.2 Kb)
Reviews
- The Giant Planet Jupiter by John H. Rogers. Cambridge University Press, 1995.
reviewed by David Graham (6.0 Kb)
- The Great Comet Crash: The Collision of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 and Jupiter by John R. Spencer & Jacqueline Mitton (Eds.). Cambridge University Press, 1995.
reviewed by Iwan P. Williams (4.2 Kb)
- The Guinness Book Of Astronomy (Fifth edition) by Patrick Moore
Guinness Publishing, 1995. ISBN 0-85112-643-X. Pp 288, £17.95 (hbk).
reviewed by Peter Hudson
- The Cambridge Guide to the Constellations
by Michael E. Bakich.
Cambridge University Press, 1995. ISBN 0-521-46520-6 (hbk), 0-521-44921-9 (pbk). Pp xiii + 320. £35.00 (hbk), £14.95 (pbk).
reviewed by Martin Ratcliffe
- Binoculars, Opera Glasses and Field Glasses by Fred Watson
Shire Publications Ltd., 1995. (Cromwell House, Church St., Princes Risborough, HP27 9AA.) ISBN 0-7478-0292-0. Pp 32, £2.25 (pbk).
reviewed by Patrick Moore
- Color and Light in Nature by David K. Lynch and William Livingston
Cambridge University Press 1995. ISBN 0-521-43431-9 (hbk), 0-521-46836-1 (pbk). Pp xii + 254, £40.00 (hbk), £17.95 (pbk).
reviewed by Neil Bone
Meeting reports
- Ordinary Meeting, 1995 May 31
- Exhibition Meeting and Ordinary Meeting, held at the City University, London on 1995 June 24
Observers' Forum
-
Comet P/1995 S1 (DeVico) imaged by Nick James on 1995 September 29 at about magnitude 5.8. The comet was well observed in the pre-dawn sky in September and October with the naked eye and binoculars. (0.30m f/5.25 Newtonian and Starlight Xpress CCD, radially enhanced image using James' own software.) N. D. James (59 Kb)
- Barnard's Star. The proper motion in 35 years of this 9.5 magnitude star in Ophiuchus is shown in a photograph by Leo Aerts taken on 1995 July 29 from the French Alps.
A copy of this or any other recent issue of the Journal may be ordered from the BAA office.
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An outline map of Cornwall showing the principal towns in relation to the track of totality. The dotted lines show the limits of the belt where the period of totality is approximately four seconds less than on the central line. (55 Kb)
Comet P/1995 S1 (DeVico) imaged by Nick James on 1995 September 29 at about magnitude 5.8. The comet was well observed in the pre-dawn sky in September and October with the naked eye and binoculars. (0.30m f/5.25 Newtonian and Starlight Xpress CCD, radially enhanced image using James' own software.) N. D. James (59 Kb)