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Issue 26 Autumn 2016 Bulletin Now Available As Full Colour Digital Pdf Issue BULLETINISSUE 26 AUTUMN 2016 BULLETIN NOW AVAILABLE AS FULL COLOUR DIGITAL PDF ISSUE 2016 AUTUMN CONFERENCE DETAILS OVERLEAF 2016 AUTUMN CONFERENCE Saturday 29 October The conference registraon is The first talk is at 1015 and the John Lee Theatre, Birmingham between 0930 and 1000 at which morning session ends at 1215 & Midland Instute me refreshments are available for lunch. The lunch break is Margaret Street, Birmingham in the lecture theatre. The unl 1330. Please make your B3 3BS conference starts at 1000 with a own arrangements. There is a welcome by the SHA Chairman café upstairs and a nearby pub. Bob Bower introduces the The first aernoon session is the The day ends with a talk about aernoon session at 1330 and 2016 Annual General Meeng to Mary Somerville from the SHA there is a break for which all members and guests Honorary President Dr. Allan refreshments at 1530. when are invited. The AGM lasts for Chapman. The aernoon tea, coffee and biscuits will be one hour aer which the session will end at 5 p.m. and provided. aernoon talks begin. the conference will then close. 10 00 - 1015 10 15 - 1115 1115 - 1215 SHA Chairman Bob Bower Bill Barton Dr. Lee McDonald Welcomes delegates The Chaldean Astronomical George Airy and the to the Birmingham Society. The Chaldean Origins of the Magnec and Midland Instute Society was established in and Meteorological for the SHA Autumn 1916 so this year marks Department at Conference their centenary Greenwich 13 30 - 1430 14 30 - 1530 16 00 – 17 00 Dr. Mike Legge Dr. Allan Chapman SHA 2016 The Hartwell Synod: Dr. John Mary Somerville and the ANNUAL Lee, Admiral Smyth and their Brish Grand Amateur GENERAL MEETING associates. Tradion. 2 In this Issue Regular Features Digital Bulletin 4 The Digital Bulletin provides extra content and links for members viewing Bulletin 26 as a PDF News Update News Items relating to the 7 History of Astronomy SHA Survey The Story of the Grubb 11 Telescope at Hepple Observatory Book Review The Royal Observatory at 44 the Cape of Good Hope Bath Royal Literary and Scienfic Instute Review by Mark Hurn. Event reports From the Library Shelves 45 Carolyn Bedwell takes “The Midnight Sky’ by 2016 Spring Conference Edwin Dunkin down from the shelves of the SHA Library nd 13 Held on the 2 April 2016 at the Bath Royal th Literary and Scientific Institute The History of 20 C. Astronomy 2016 Summer Picnic Arthur Tristan interviews Alan Heath about his 51 experiences of astronomy in the 20th Century. Held on the 2nd July 2016 at Hanwell Community 19 Observatory Places to Visit 55 2016 North West Astronomy Festival A virtual visit to Armagh Observatory Held in Runcorn 1st – 3rd July 2016 21 Centennial News 57 Articles Newspaper Reports from 1916 and 1816 SHA News and Notices Letters to the English Mechanic Re-subscription options – Meetings and Events 59 Len Adam makes some finds from 1874 issues. 22 Welcome to New Members Astronomical Snippets from Grace’s Guide Part 3. 26 Paul Haley continues the series. Aurora Polaris Paul Haley describes this EU funded project. 34 AUTUMN CONFERENCE Boscawen-Un AND A.G.M. Carolyn Kennett visits a bronze-age stone circle 38 Takes place on Saturday 29th of astronomical significance. October 2016 The images show two of At the John Lee Theatre the research facilies Birmingham and Midlands available to members Instute Details Opposite SHA Library Instute of Astronomy See page 59 Birmingham Cambridge 3 Digital Bulletin 26 for online readers Looking back to past articles from the SHA BACK TO THE The Digital Bulletin provides additional BEGINNING Agnes Mary Clerke (1842-1907) content and links for members viewing Bulletin 26 as a PDF. Articles that have READ THE FIRST ISSUE OF previously appeared in the Antiquarian THE SHA BULLETIN (2002) Astronomer are now online. Selected KNOWN THEN AS SHA NEWS articles can be read directly from this page. Key links to the current and past issues of SHA e-News and other material can be accessed from here. Click the centre of any image to go to the content. Latest SHA e-News All SHA e-News Ever popular historian of astronomy by Mary Bruck. AGNES MARY CLERKE INTERESTING OLD BOOKS ON ASTRONOMY ON THE WEB AntAs Web Page BAA Historical Section Astronomy for Amateurs Astronomical Flammarion Discoveryl Edward J. Lowe and the Nottingham Observatories by Madeline Cox SHA Survey Website The two books above EDWARD J. LOWE can be read directly on the web. They are an interesting part of astronomical history. The two books below are e-books for sale. Historical AstroWeb Astronomy History Division Resources AAS William E. Wilson and his contemporaries by Ian Elliot W. E. WILSON 44 4 Digital Bullen 26 QR Codes Even if you are reading the printed version of the SHA Bullen you can sll access the digital content by using a QR Reader on your phone or tablet. The QR codes for all the content in Digital Bullen 26 on page 4 are given on the le hand side. Holding your QR reader over a QR code will Agnes Mary Edward J. William E. link you directly to the digital content. Clerke Lowe Wilson e-News All e-News AntAs July 2016 Issues Web Page BAA History AAS History AstroWeb History Secon Division Resources SHA Survey Issue 1 Astronomical Website Bullen Discovery CONTEMPLATION Astronomy for Echoes of the Archeoastronomy PAUL RENAUD Amateurs Ancient Skies From “Astronomy for Amateurs" by Camille Flammarion Free QR Code readers will be available to download in the App Store for your phone or tablet 5 Editorial Bulletin co-editors Carolyn Kennett and Len Adam Welcome to the new look Bulletin. This the first issue of the Bulletin with We have introduced a number of new new editors so we would like to pay features to the Bulletin. One of these is tribute to the enormous contribution that “From the Library Shelves”. The aim is to Clive Davenhall made to the Society feature an interesting book that is on the during his time in the post. Looking back shelves of the SHA Library in each through past issues of the Bulletin made us Bulletin. In this issue the book removed realise just how much work he had to do from the shelf ,by the SHA Assistant and also how much he contributed in the Librarian Carolyn Bedwell, is Edwin form of articles and other content over the Dunkin’s “The Midnight Sky”. There is years to publications in support of the also a book review of “The Royal society. We only hope that we can begin to Observatory at the Cape of Good Hope – match his efforts. History and Heritage” carried out by Mark Hurn from the Institute of Astronomy in This is a digital age so, as the new editors, Cambridge. Another new feature that we we decided to also make a PDF version wish to develop is “The History of available to SHA members in addition to Astronomy in the 20th Century” in which the conventional printed Bulletin. The plan astronomers are interviewed to get their is that any SHA member who has provided perspective on that period. In the first of the society with an email address would these, amateur astronomer Alan Heath was receive an email with the PDF Bulletin as interviewed by SHA member Arthur an attachment. Having the Bulletin as a Tristan. Another new feature is “Places to PDF also means that if a link is provided Visit” which features Armagh observatory in an article or feature then you can click in this issue. Yet another is Centennial on it to access the linked site immediately. News, which looks back at newspaper In this issue (page 4) we have provided a reports from previous centuries. special page that provides additional content access through links. This includes There are two articles from regular links to three articles previously printed in contributor Paul Haley, the first the Antiquarian Astronomer that are now continuing his “Graces Guide Snippets” available online. There are also links to series and the second entitled Aurora two books that can be read entirely online Polaris. Both editors have contributed and links to eNews issues. You can also go articles. Carolyn has written an article back to read the first issue of what was relating to Archeoastronomy and Len an eventually to become the Bulletin. On article inspired by a letter from T.W. page 5, for printed Bulletin readers, there Webb to the English Mechanic. is the option to rapidly get to all this digital content by using a QR Code reader Carolyn Kennett app on your mobile phone or tablet. Carolyn likes a wide range of historical astronomy topics. She resides in Cornwall Meanwhile, back to the Bulletin itself, the and has a real passion for local photographs on the cover were all taken at astronomical history. Her current research our very successful joint spring meeting also includes maritime astronomy and with the Herschel Society in Bath. There archaeoastronomy. is a full report on the event with a summary of each talk and more Len Adam photographs including some taken in the Len is a practical observer spending much Herschel household on the day of the time in southern Spain and is particularly conference. There is a report on the interested in the amateur astronomers of equally successful summer picnic, which the late 19th and early 20th Century took place at Hanwell Community Observatory with photographs of the Please consider writing an item for the event. There is also a report of the North Bulletin.
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