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Royal Astronomical Society of New ZealandSouthern Stars: Abstracts Volume 41: March 2002 to December 2002. |
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Royal Astronomical Society of New ZealandSouthern Stars: Abstracts Volume 41: March 2002 to December 2002. |
| No 1 March 2002 | No 2 June 2002 | No 3 September 2002 | No 4 December 2002 |
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| Southern
Stars: Vol 41 Contents. |
RASNZ Home Page | ||
| Southern Stars: Volume 41, number 1. March 2002. Pp 1 - 24 | |
Stardate -
Tukituki 2002
Lesley Hall and Ian Cooper
This Stardate was the fifteenth so far but only the second in the
Tukituki Valley, in the wine-growing region near Havelock North
in Hawkes Bay. Last year we had two and a half nights' observing
out of three, an absolute blessing after an observing drought for
the previous two Stardates. However, given the terrible run of
weather being experienced over much of New Zealand in the second
week of January, many attendees were sceptical about whether we
would see any stars at all.
Volume 41, number 1. March 2002. Pp 3 - 5
The Next Space
Telescopes
Nicholas James Rattenbury
Over the next few years, a fleet of small, highly dedicated space
telescopes will be deployed. Though small in size, these
instruments will provide data vital for answering two of
astronomy's greatest questions: do habitable planets exist? and
what is the hidden interior structure of stars? Descriptions of
the space missions MONS, MOST, COROT and Eddington are given
along with an outline of the theories which further the quest to
answer these long-standing fundamental questions.
Volume 41, number 1. March 2002. Pp 6 - 12
John Campbell
Begg
Robert Campbell
John Campbell Begg born in Dunedin in 1876 was the son of
Alexander Campbell Begg and Katherine Begg, early Otago settlers.
He studied physics and philosophy at the University of Otago
before turning to business and rural pursuits. He died in Dunedin
in 1965 age 89. The Begg family were foundation members of the
Otago Astronomical Society. Visits to the Tanna Hill Observatory
were made in 1915. The astronomical observatory which stands in
Robin Hood Park, Roslyn, Dunedin bears his name; Beverly
Begg Observatory
Volume 41, number 1. March 2002. Pp 12 - 13
Garry Nankivell:
Perfectionist
Norman Rumsey
Garry Nankivell died on 2001 December 22 in Lower Hutt, New
Zealand. He was known by probably every New Zealand astronomer,
amateur and professional, and touched many of them in one way or
another but particularly through his optical work on astronomical
instruments. Norman Rumsey writes of Garry the Optician and of
Garry the Man.
Volume 41, number 1. March 2002. Pp 14 - 16
Garry Nankivell
and his Contribution to Mt John
John Hearnshaw
John Hearnshaw, Profesor of Astronomy at the University of
Canterbury and Director of Mt John Observatory, describes the
enormous contribution that New Zealand's foremost optical
craftsman, Garry Nankivell, has made to the instrumentation at
the Mt John Observatory and elsewhere in New Zealand, which has
come to a sudden, sad end. The optics for the 1-metre McLellan
telescope in 1981 and for the Hercules spectrograph in 2000 were
his most important creations.
Volume 41, number 1. March 2002. Pp 17 - 20
Garry Nankivell:
Published Papers
compiled by Norman Rumsey
A list of papers which Garry Nankivell wrote or to which he
contributed, is given.
Volume 41, number 1. March 2002. Pp 20 - 21
Comet C/2000 WM1
Linear
Contributions by Ian Cooper & Noel Munford and by Alan
Gilmore
Volume 41, number 1. March 2002. Pp 22
The 2001 Leonid
Shower, Mount Isa
Ross Dickie
A number of observers from the South Island of New Zealand made a
trip to Mount Isa to observe the 2001 Leonid shower. A personal
account, with observations and photos is presented.
Volume 41, number 2. June 2002. Pp 3 - 5
International
Astronomy Day, 2002, in Wellington
Mike McGavin, Wellington Astronomical Society April the
20th, 2002, was International Astronomy Day. In Wellington this
day hasn't been seriously promoted or celebrated for at least a
decade. This year however several members of the Wellington
Astronomical Society as well as one or two others braved the
sunlight of Civic Square to talk to pedestrians about astronomy.
This was the first time that most onvolved had organised or taken
part in such an event. The article describes the preparation for
the event, and how it went on the day.
Volume 41, number 2. June 2002. Pp 6 - 7
Probing the Solar
System Dust Population with Canterbury's Meteor Orbit Radar:
AMOR
D. P. Galligan Since 1990 the AMOR neteor orbit radar
has been operated in an increasingly time-continuous mode at the
University of Canterbury's Birdling Flat field station. In excess
of one million heliocentric meteoroid orbits have been archived
to date. The radar system is introduced and a recent upgrade is
discussed which has increased the effective radiant declination
coverage. A summary is given of some of the astronomical results
which have been obtained to date.
Volume 41, number 2. June 2002. Pp 8 - 12
Joseph Ward:
pioneer New Zealand Telescope Maker
Wayne Orchiston During the first quarter of the
twentieth century, Joseph Ward was one of New Zealand's leading
amateur astronomers. He is best remembered as the founder of the
Ward (Wanganui) Observatory, for his Ward double stars and as a
pioneer telescope maker. Over the years he manufactured many
reflectors and small refractors. Some of these were acquired by
astronomical societies and by other well known New Zealand
astronomers, including Ronald McIntosh and Albert Jones. For many
years the 52.1 cm Newtonian reflector that he completed in 1924
remained the largest telescope made by a New Zealand amateur
astronomer.
Volume 41, number 2. June 2002. Pp 13 - 21
The Development of
a Universal Constellation Learning Device
Hendrik J. Gerritsen Several devices have been invented
over the centuries to help people recognise and learn the names
of the constelations and the bright stars therein. Three devices
are described in the order they were developed and tested, which
offer unique advantages over those in existence. The
chronological order is also the sequence in which they get more
complex and expensive. the last version is close ot ideal. All
three models can be constructed by a skilled amateur.
Volume 41, number 2. June 2002. Pp 22 - 23
Astronomy at the
University of Canterbury Department of Physics and Astronomy and
at teh Mt John University Observatory.
Prof. J. B. Hearnshaw: Director Report for the period 1
January 2001 to 31 December 2001
Volume 41, number 2. June 2002. Pp 24 - 30
Annual Report of
Council for 2001
RASNZ Council Report of the Royal Astronomical Society
of New Zealand for the period 1 January 2001 to 31 December
2001
Volume 41, number 2. June 2002. Pp 31 - 42
| Southern Stars: Volume 41, number 3. September 2002. Pp 1 - 28 | |
In the dark - An
amateur's contribution
Jennie McCormick
A small group of New Zealand amateur astronomers contributes to
the observational programme of the Centre for Backyard
Astrophysics. This global network gathers brightness measurements
of Cataclysmic Variables. The members of this New Zealand group
and their work are introduced.
Volume 41, number 3. September 2002. Pp 3 - 8
Minor Planet
Occultations - Recent Results
Graham Blow and Stephen Kerr
The timing of minor planet occultations is a scientifcially
useful activity that can be undertaken by amateur astronomers. An
over view of the technique is given followed by the results of
recent successfully timed occultations. A more detailed
examination of the occultations of (94) Aurora and (48 (Doris) is
given. Future directions of minor planet occultation timing are
suggested.
Volume 41, number 3. September 2002. Pp 9 - 18
The Universe
Unveiled with the Hubble Space Telescope
Robin Catchpole
This year's Carter Memorial Lecturer was Dr Robin Catchpole,
Senior Astronomer at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. He gave
his lecture "The Universe Unveiled with the Hubble Space
Telescope" during May to audiences at Nelson, Invercargill,
Christchurch, Wellington, Wanganui, Napier, Hamilton and
Auckland.
Volume 41, number 3. September 2002. Pp 19 - 20
Winter Astrocamp
2002: Persistence Pays
Ian Cooper and Lesley Hall
A review of the third Winter Astrocamp organised by the Phoenix
Astronomical Society at their Wairarapa Observatory is
presented.
Volume 41, number 3. September 2002. Pp 21 - 23
Solar
Imaging
Gordon Garcia
The author has been an amateur solar observer for 21 years. He
began observing the Sun making sunspot counts and drawings of the
solar disc and active regions in both white light and
Hydrogen-alpha. In 1988 he decided to try photgraphing the
Sun.
Volume 41, number 3. September 2002. Pp 24 - 25
| Southern Stars: Volume 41, number 4. December 2002. Pp 1 - 20 | |
Australian
Pilgrimage
Robin Gledhill
Five intrepid South Island amateur astronomers made their 2001
Leonid Meteor Shower excursion to Australia a trip to remember.
Getting there, and back, was just as exciting. Their journeys are
described with some Australian history and travel trips thrown in
for good measure. This article is based on a talk given at the
2002 Stargazers Getaway at herbert, North Otago.
Volume 41, number 4. December 2002. Pp 3 - 6
What's in a Name?
v. Minor Planet Nomenclature
Pam Kilmartin
This is the fifth talk given to an RASNZ conference (2002) on the
subject of minor planet names. The first two were subsequently
published in Southern Stars in 1980 and 1983. But the
third (1989) and fourth (1994) were not submitted for
publication.
Volume 41, number 4. December 2002. Pp 7 - 10
Dating
Galileo
Nicholas James Rattenbury
This article describes the work done by Lucarelli and Mando
(1996) and Giuntini et al (1994) in teh application of Proton
Induced Xray Emission (PIXE) to date some of teh writings of
Galileo pertaining to dynamical motion. The PIXE technique is
described along with results reported by the quoted
authors.
Volume 41, number 4. December 2002. Pp 10 - 13
The Sun in
2001
R W Evans
White light observations of the Sun in 2001, as reported to the
RASNZ Aurora and Solar Section are presented and discussed. The
maximum of solar Cycle 23 was found to be double peaked according
to the work of eleven solar observers who altogether submitted
1664 observations for the year to the Section.
Volume 41, number 4. December 2002. Pp 14 - 16
Southern Stars Vol 41 Contents