Ordinary Meeting, 2005 March 30

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Ordinary Meeting, 2005 March 30

held at The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1

Tom Boles, President

Ron Johnson, Nick Hewitt and Nick James, Secretaries

Mr Boles opened the fifth Ordinary Meeting of the 115th Session, and invited Dr Nick Hewitt to read the minutes of the previous meeting. These met the approval of members, and were duly signed. Mr Ron Johnson, Business Secretary, reported that three gifts had been received: Mary Somerville, by Dr Allan Chapman, and Sir Patrick Moore's Autobiography, both donated by Mr A.J. Kinder, and Big Ben, The Bell, The Clock, by Mr P. MacDonald, donated by its author. Members applauded the donors. The President reported that fifteen new members were proposed for election, and put to members the election of those 49 who had been proposed at the previous meeting. This being accepted, they were declared elected, and the President invited any newcomers to introduce themselves after the meeting.

In the absence of the Papers Secretary, Mrs Hazel McGee announced the approval of five papers for Journal publication:

The Discovery of the Correct Birth Date for Selenographer Thomas Gwyn Empy Elyer, by ??? Garfinkle

The 2004 Transit of Venus from the Open University Observatory, by ??? Cooper

Predicting Astronomical Seeing in the UK, by Damian Peach

The Sky at Night Goes South, by Damian Peach

Lunar Domes: A Generic Classification of the Dome near Valentine located at 10.26°E and 31.89°N, by ??? Lena

The President announced that the next Ordinary Meeting would be held at 14:30 on April 23, when the main speaker would be Omar Almaini of the University of Nottingham, speaking on Quasars, Black Holes and Galaxy Formation. In other news, he extended his warmest congratulations to Mr Guy Hurst, former President, who had received the Royal Astronomical Society's 2005 Award for Services to Astronomy in recognition of his work within the amateur astronomical community, both administrative and observational. Mr Hurst's work in forging and strengthening ProAm collaborations had received particular commendation, he added.

Moving onto administrative matters, he reported with regret that Ms Anne Davies had departed the Office, and a presentation was made in recognition of her services to the Association. He was pleased to announce that effective March 23, a new Manager, Ms Jean Felles, had filled the vacancy.

He then introduced the evening's first speaker, Dr Simon Green, Senior Lecturer in Planetary and Space Science at the Open University, and a specialist in the study of asteroids and comets. It was noted that Dr Green's work in searching plates from the IRAS infrared telescope had yielded no less than six comet discoveries. On this occasion, he would be speaking about the results of the recent descent of the Huygens probe into the atmosphere of Saturn's Moon Titan.