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2012 December Vol. 49 No 584 SIR ISSN 0950-138X FOUNDED 1964 MONTHLY (6411) Tamaga 2012 December Vol. 49 No 584 SIR PATRICK MOORE (1923-2012) Photograph by Martin Mobberley (1999 December) The Astronomer Volume 49 No 584 2012 December page C1 2) Occultation by (388) Charybdis, 2012 Dec 3: Montse Campas and Ramon Naves(Spain) 3) Comet 168P/Hergenrother, 2012 Nov 22: Alexander Baransky (Ukraine) The Astronomer Volume 49 No 584 2012 December page C2 Vol 49 No 584 THE ASTRONOMER 2012 December Editor Guy M Hurst, 16, Westminster Close, Basingstoke, Hants, RG22 4PP, England. (Comets, photographic notes, deep sky, cover material & general articles) Telephone National 01256471074 Mobile Telephone: 07905332226 International +441256471074 Internet [email protected] (primary) or [email protected] (secondary) Facebook: facebook.com/guy.hurst1 World Wide Web: http://www.theastronomer.org Secretary: Bob Dryden, 21 Cross Road, Cholsey, Oxon, OX10 9PE (new subs, address changes, magazine, circulars renewals and catalogue purchases) Internet:: [email protected] Tel:(01491) 201620 Assistant Editors: Nick James 11 Tavistock Road, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 6JL Internet [email protected] Tel:(01245) 354366 Denis Buczynski, Templecroft, Tarbatness Road,Portmahomack, Near Tain, Ross-Shire IV20 1RD Internet: [email protected] Tel: 01862 871187 Aurora: Tom McEwan, Kersland House, 14 Kersland Road, Glengarnock, Ayrshire, KA14 3BA Tel: (01505) 683908 (voice) [email protected] Meteors: Tony Markham, 20 Hillside Drive. Leek, Staffs, ST13 8JQ Internet: [email protected] Tel:(01538)381174 Planets, asteroids & Lunar: Dr.Mark Kidger, Herschel Science Centre, European Space Agency, European Space Astronomy Centre, P.O.Box - Apdo. de correos 78, 28691 Villanueva de la Canada, Madrid, Spain FAX:+34 91 813 1218 Internet: [email protected] Tel: +34 91 813 1256 Solar:: Peter Meadows, 6 Chelmerton Avenue, Great Baddow, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 9RE Internet: [email protected] Tel:(01245)475885 Variables: Gary Poyner, 67 Ellerton Road, Kingstanding, Birmingham, B44 0QE Internet: [email protected] Tel: 07876 077855 Production: Margaret & Colin Roberts Nova/Supernova Patrol: enquiries to main Editor. DEADLINE: 5th of month of publication. (Reports and Cover material) We recommend overseas contributors send their reports by E-Mail or FAX if possible. MAGAZINE SUB (PAPER): UK £25.00; Eire & Europe £34.00; Rest of World £43.00 (airmail) per year. Sample copies: £2.00 each. MAGAZINE (pdf): £19 for UK and all world zones GOLD SUBSCRIPTION (PAPER MAG): Magazine plus e-circulars UK £42.00; Europe £54; Rest of World £64.00 per year. All subscriptions can be paid for up to two years in advance. GOLD SUBSCRIPTION (pdf): Magazine pdf only plus e-circulars £36 (UK and all world zones) USA RESIDENTS may pay by personal cheque in dollars: Please contact Bob Dryden for current rates. OVERSEAS SUBSCRIBERS may credit subscription monies to our bankers direct. Contact Secretary for details. BACK ISSUES: £2.00 each, post paid. Send wants to Secretary. PAPER CHARTS, VIDEOS, CD ROMs & CATALOGUE SALES: Contact Secretary for details. ADVERTS: Text lines- 75p per line (width 60 characters); Professionally printed- whole page £50; 1/2, £25; 1/4, £15 per issue. Discount for 3 or more in series. Payment in advance. WWW advertising also available. Contact Editor. CIRCULARS SUBSCRIPTIONS: The circulars provide the fastest service for discoveries and news of novae, comets, supernovae, asteroids, variables and any other object of interest. Chart information is sometimes included. There are approximately 100 circulars issued per year. Annual cost £25 per year. DISCOVERIES: can be reported to the Editor on (01256) 471074. If answering machine response only PLEASE LEAVE MESSAGE ON TAPE and in addition, contact Nick James (01245) 354366, Denis Buczynski 01862 871187 or Peter Birtwhistle (01488) 648103 Above numbers are available all night. Please e-mail as attachments, charts or photos to the Editor's number immediately . VARIABLE STAR ALERTS to be reported to Gary Poyner, VS editor. Details above. RESULTS: in TA are preliminary unless otherwise stated. They should also be sent to the body responsible for the ultimate analysis of the object. Copyright: The Astronomer This magazine is protected by copyright. Distribution of any part (pdf or paper editions) is strictly forbidden without the prior written permission of the editor. 198 EDITORIAL: The Inheritance of Rich Astronomical History As I was taking a rare night off from variable stars and comets yesterday, (with apologies to appropriate BAA Directors!), I contemplated how relaxing it was to visit other peoples’ observatories with students and be taken on a ‘conducted’ tour of deep sky objects or, as most amateurs informally call them, the ‘fuzzies’. I was indebted to Ian Bruce and Brian Colthorpe for looking after us as their observatories. However for several people present it was also their first chance to try their hand at observing a whole range of such objects and of considerable variation in difficulty for the visual observer. It was during these observations, which for most of the time I have made many times over the years, that I allowed myself a pause at the telescopes to contemplate those observers in historical times particularly where they were the discoverers. There is a vast difference between being shown target objects and in this case with a GOTO device, holding the coordinates and the observers of the past who had no prior knowledge of their existence when that passed over an eyepiece field and spotted them. It is argued that going back a few hundred years, observers had a huge advantage through lack of the light pollution which most of us suffered today wherever we are in the world. However against this simplistic comparison with today’s astronomers, those in the past did not necessarily have the same quality optics even if of similar aperture. Also various aspects of the weather such as haze and all the recent dampness many of us have experienced were still present. Some famous observers of the past restricted themselves to a small number of nights per year which were not only clear but of high quality. One object I had not seen for a long time on a visual basis was the Crab Nebula. Although one of the most written about objects in astronomical literature and historically linked to the famous supernova event of 1054, I knew it is not an easy object even in telescopes of, say, 0.26-m aperture today. In fact several students had trouble seeing it at all until we stressed the idea of using averted vision. And yet this remnant of the supernova was discovered by John Bevis as long ago as 1731, a doctor observing from England. I wonder how easy it would have been for John to detect this rather faint smudge visually without prior knowledge. If you have several cloudy nights it can be very frustrating to the active observer. Could I recommend you buy a book relating to the history of astronomy and familiarise yourself on the rich history we have inherited. It will also reveal that whilst we look at their amazing astronomical observations, if we look back far enough we see that famous characters as far back as Pythagoras had much wider interests than purely astronomy. Even though it seems logical to next consider his famous theorem, it is now known this was in use by the Babylonians, we find Pythagoras was fascinated by music and even taught that subject. These days we often refer to the famous astronomers as polymaths of which many feature on an informal list such as Galileo, Copernicus and Aristotle, the latter perhaps one of the greatest known. The widening of our knowledge of all their activities is certainly a reminder of our rich history and worth contemplating whilst observing those ‘fuzzy’ objects. Have a great Christmas! Guy M Hurst, Editor The Astronomer Vol 49 No 584 2012 December 199 SIR PATRICK MOORE (1923-2012) As this issue was going to press, we have received the sad news that Patrick Moore died on Dec 9, 2012 at the age of 89 and will publish an obituary in the next issue. Our condolences to his family and friends. Richard Henry Chambers (1931-2012) It is with deep regret that I have to also report the death of Dick Chambers on Wednesday 2012 November 21, aged 81, at Greenwich and Bexley Cottage Hospice. He had been a recipient of ‘The Astronomer’ magazine for many years, on behalf of Crayford Manor House Astronomical Society. The editor was aware of his serious state of health on meeting him recently at the BAA Annual Meeting in London in October. I was most impressed by his bravery in attending such a meeting under the circumstances but he seemed determined to say a farewell to his colleagues and friends. The BAA advise that donations are invited to the Greenwich and Bexley Cottage Hospice, 185 Bostall Hill, Abbey Wood, London, SE2 0GB Our condolences to all his family and friends. Circulars Service (continues from the listing in TA Vol 49 No 583 page 171 [2012]): Date Cat Circular Subject 121111 3 E-Circular 2867 Nova Aquilae 2012; SN 2012eu; SN 2012ew 121116 3 E-Circular 2868 Possible SN in PGC 214858 (Ron Arbour) 121119 3 E-Circular 2869 MASTER OT J061017.75+414545.7 – New cataclysmic Variable; SN 2012ex in UGC 838; SN 2012ey in PGC 9159; SN 2012ez; SN 2012fa; SN 2012fb 121123 3 E-Circular 2870 MASTWER OT J064643.02+412059.1 – new cataclysmic variable; MASTER OT J061017.75+414545.7; SN 2012fc in PGC 70602; SN 2012fd in ESO 488-G51; SN 2012fe 121125 3 E-Circular 2871 Comet P/2012 US_27 (Siding
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