Welcome to another colour issue of the DSO. As promised we are trying to use colour twice a year.
This issue, unlike the last, is dominated by
one article. We do have a number of
large papers that are just not quite big enough to split across two issues. The next Deep-Sky Observer should encompass a wider
variety of material. You will also
find some ‘orphaned’ spectra that should have accompanied Nick Martin’s
article in DSO 130. My apologies to
Nick for missing these out but there was an oversight somewhere in the
production process. The colour
examples are to be found in the centre spread and others later in the magazine.
I still have quite a few articles and they
should appear in the next couple of issues.
I would like to ask members what they think
of the format of the magazine. Do
we need some more chatty articles and star party reports or are members happy
with what we have? I know many of
you would like articles on small telescope observations but I can only print
what I am sent…
I am looking at changing the format of the
magazine a little to encompass a news section so if any of you have short notes
that you think may be of interest to other observers then I would be glad to
have them. There is a lot of
interesting material coming out on the Internet that I think could have a better
home.
On the society front, Mike Swan has decided
to step down as Treasurer effective immediately and the committee has decided to
ask Steve Rayner to act in his capacity. Mike
has been an active member of the society and its committee almost since our
founding in 1967 and has served with distinction as both Secretary and Treasurer
in that time. He is also
responsible the Webb Star Atlas and a number of articles in the magazine.
The accounts that we were unable to present
at the last AGM are enclosed and hopefully they will be approved at the next
Annual Meeting. We are currently
trying to pick a date for that event but due to an explosion of BAA Section
Meetings, it is becoming difficult to select a free Saturday during the coming
spring season.
Editor: Owen Brazell