Issue 5 – November 2004 Editorial David Rayner Welcome to the fifth issue of the is compiling a CD record of the updated with news and events. SHA Newsletter. As the eagle-eyed English Mechanic and World of Take a look - you'll be surprised at of you will already have noticed, this Science magazine, a tribute from the changes! issue carries the SHA logo and Peredur Williams on the centenary banner for the first time. The of the the interpretation of the P Finally, a reminder that articles and editorial team hopes you like the new Cygni line profile and Clive letters for the Newsletter are always appearance. Davenhall's revisit to the welcome. Addresses and details are Lancashire village of Much Hoole to be found on the back page. As well as the usual SHA news and to study transits of Venus old and Please don't think we need an in features this bumper-size issue new. depth piece of work, in fact from contains an interesting item from the point of view of compiling the Mike Frost on the eclipse of 1737 Members who have access to the Newsletter, snippets are really as recalled by records uncovered in Internet may like to know that our useful for fill-ins. All contributions the Warwickshire county archives, website www.shastro.org.uk/ has will be gratefully received! a cry of help from Eric Hutton who been reworked and is now regularly Jeremiah Horrocks and the transits of Venus In 1639 Jeremiah Horrocks made the first observations of a transit of Venus. Tragically, he died shortly afterwards, and his papers were dispersed, and many lost, after his death. However, by a tortuous route, his account of the transit came into the possession of Johannes Hevelius in Danzig, who published it in 1662. Horrocks’ diagram of the 1639 transit shown opposite is taken from Hevelius’ work. IAU Colloquium 196: Transits of Venus: New Views of the Solar System and Galaxy was held to coincide with this year’s transit and on the day of the event visited the village of Much Hoole in Lancashire, from where Horrocks made his observations. A report of this meeting appears inside. I became increasingly absorbed in Letter from the Chair astronomical history, and since my Gilbert Satterthwaite FRAS, SHA Chairman retirement I have begun to write up the research of many years. In I am grateful for this opportunity to publications. There I had the added Manchester in 2000 I was elected a introduce myself. It came as a great advantage of an office just across member of Commission 16 (History surprise when the Council invited the Burlington House courtyard of Astronomy) of the IAU, and was me to succeed Emily Winterburn in from the premises of the RAS, of invited to present a paper on Airy’s the Chair; although a Founder which I have been a Fellow for positional instruments at the General Member I had had no involvement many years, and was thus able to Assembly in Sydney last year. in the running of the Society. Whilst gain an insight into the day-to-day I was very honoured by the running of two national bodies. Since assuming the Chair I have invitation, I felt I should consider received great support from very carefully before accepting it. Astronomy has been a passion since members of the Council, especially Could I really contribute boyhood, and I was first taught it by Stuart Williams and Ken Goward, significantly to this young but Dr A.F. Alexander, an eminent for which I am very grateful. After already very promising amateur astronomer well-known for just a few months I have been organisation? his classic books The Planet Saturn privileged to see many good things and The Planet Uranus. Dr happen, some of which are referred After some reflection, I decided that Alexander was an historian by to elsewhere in this Newsletter. I I could accept with a clear training, and taught astronomy on a have just returned from a meeting of conscience. I have, after all, been sound historical basis. The interest the Council at which most of the involved in many organisations, in the history of the subject he Society’s activities were examined both large and small, through most instilled in me was greatly increased in detail. Not everything has gone as of my adult life. I was a member of when I found myself working at the well as we might have hoped, but the Council of the BAA for a Royal Observatory, Greenwich, improvements are in place and we number of years. I founded the observing with the Transit Circle Sir are optimistic for the future. Above Orpington Astronomical Society George Airy had designed and all, it is very clear to me that the almost 25 years ago, and whilst, performing the mathematical Society has flourished as much as it typically for a local group, it is reductions of transit observations has solely because of the enormous about half the present size of the using procedures Airy had devised. commitment of a small number of SHA it continues to flourish; I have Furthermore, most of the positional people, some of whom continue to the honour to be its President and instruments used by earlier bear an almost unsustainable burden. am still involved in some aspects of Astronomers Royal were hanging on We need more willing helpers to its management. In my professional the walls of the Transit Circle share the tasks that lie ahead. The life I was for some years Executive building. It was fascinating to Society has got off to a flying start; Secretary of a national body, the examine them in the intervals let us all pull together to build on Geological Society, responsible for between transit observations, and that foundation. overseeing all of its activities and its later to read up their history. Society news Stuart Williams LRPS, FRAS, SHA Secretary Following a meeting of the SHA journals to the Birmingham and new shelving, a large study table, a Council and Officers in Birmingham Midland Institute (BMI) earlier this desk and chairs, all at no cost to the on 13 November, a number of major year, with a view to making these SHA. The room also includes some decisions have been made that will substantial numbers of publications shelving for BMI reserve stock and define our activities in 2005, and more accessible for reference. Now, a desk for occasional use by the have implications for future years. I however, the BMI Administrator BMI’s President. Prior to our am also able to make a special and General Secretary Philip Fisher Council meeting on 13 November, announcement which is both has presented the SHA with a most members of Council and Officers of surprising and extremely exciting – gratifying and exciting surprise – the Society transferred the reference the founding of our new reference our own independent reference journals into the bright new room, library, which is first on the list of library and study facility within the and proceeded to hold a very news this issue. Institute itself! The Benson Room productive meeting in it, at which it had been considered as a distant was decided to name our new Sir Robert Ball Library possibility for our use, perhaps years reference library after a past founded at the BMI in the future when funding might be president of the BMI who will be found, but no more. The BMI has well known to all our members – Sir As you know, the SHA moved its now very kindly completely Robert Stawell Ball. main reference collections of refurbished the room and provided SHA Newsletter – Issue 5 Page 2 November 2004 Sir Robert, often spoken of as ‘The http://www.williamherschel.org.uk/. forwarded to the appropriate Victorian Patrick Moore’, a prolific Future joint meetings with other Councillor or Officer for lecturer and author, former organisations will rotate venues consideration and a response. Astronomer Royal for Ireland, around the country to continue our Contact Stuart Williams at the Lowndean Professor of Astronomy policy of offering something to address given on the back page of and Geometry at the University of members in varied regions, and we this Newsletter. Cambridge and Director of the therefore hope to go north in 2006. University Observatory there, SHA website updated seemed the ideal person to honour May. SHA spring conference. This with the naming of our new event is the renamed AGM and Thanks are due to our webmaster, reference library bearing in mind his Lectures, along similar lines to the Greg Smye-Rumsby, for his sterling obvious links with both books and event held in 2004 and incorporating efforts in recently updating the the BMI. So now, the Sir Robert the Annual General Meeting. We Society website, located at: Ball Library of the Society for the hope to hold the meeting in http://www.shastro.org.uk. Greg, a History of Astronomy has been well Greenwich, subject to negotiation. professional designer, created the and truly founded in Birmingham, Precise date, details etc. to be new site for us, and it offers a and will be up and running as an announced. wonderful first point of contact for ongoing project in 2005, when a the many historians and enthusiasts reference collection of books has 2 July. SHA annual picnic. This who frequent the Internet, which been identified and transferred to the year our summer picnic returns to include the majority of our new facility. It is hoped that the Sir Wadham College, Oxford. Details members! All the latest news, most Robert Ball Library can be opened and date provisional, subject to recent announcements, and general both to card-carrying SHA and BMI negotiation.