SCAP meeting no.10

Mike Bode , Phil Charles and Carlos Frenk report the minutes of the tenth meeting of the Standing Conference of Astronomy Professors, held at the RAS, Burlington House on 30 January 2001.     

NAM: Is bigger better?

The success of holding the RAS National Astronomy Meeting as part of an international meeting with the European Astronomy Society and the UK Solar Physics and MIST meetings has prompted many people to wonder: "Should we do this more often?" Sue Bowler reports.     

Updating GCSE Astronomy

Julien King, Chair of the RAS Education Committee, brings news of changes to the GCSE Astronomy syllabus, mainly additions aimed at making the content more relevant to recent developments in research.     

Telescopes in Education at the IAU

The development and utilization of telescopes for educational purposes were discussed on 18 August at a special session of the IAU in Manchester. The session, which was organized by Barrie Jones and Alan Pickwick of the RAS Education Committee, was entitled "Astronomy Research Projects for School and University Students". Peter Bond summarizes.     

New Fellows

Fellows who are PhD student supervisors should be on the lookout for exceptionally good work from research students submitting their theses this year, for nomination for the RAS Michael Penston Astronomy Prize and the RAS Keith Runcorn Prize.     

90 years on – the 1919 eclipse expedition at Príncipe

Richard Ellis, Pedro G Ferreira, Richard Massey and Gisa Weszkalnys return to Príncipe in the International Year of Astronomy to celebrate the 1919 RAS expedition led by Sir Arthur Eddington.     

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust

An account of the RAS Presidential Address of 11 February 2000, given by David A Williams , Perren Professor of Astronomy, University College London.     

The 2008 RAS National Astronomy Meeting

This year's RAS National Astronomy Meeting was held at Queen's University Belfast from 31 March to 4 April. Also joining NAM 2008 were the meetings of the UK Solar Physics (UKSP) and the Magnetospheric, Ionospheric and Solar-Terrestrial (MIST) special interest groups. The event was organized by QUB scientists within the Astrophysics Research Centre and the Centre for Theoretical Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics. Alan Fitzsimmons, Mihalis Mathioudakis and Andrew Kavanagh report.     

Prof. Joseph Silk

The Gold Medal for Astronomy is awarded to Prof. Joseph Silk, FRS, of the Nuclear & Astrophysics Laboratory, Oxford.     

Profile: Robert C Kennicutt Jr

The Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy at the University of Cambridge, Director of the Institute of Astronomy, and winner of the 2009 Gruber Prize talks about teamwork, keeping ahead of the technology curve, and other challenges facing astrophysics and astrophysicists.     

Reach for the stars: education & public outreach special

Over the next 15 pages we present a snapshot of current astronomy outreach programmes, targeting schools, children and adults, by means of observatories, robotic telescopes, podcasts and more. Much of this activity was presented and discussed at the National Astronomy Meeting this year in Preston, in a well-attended session organized by Paul Roche and Carolina Ödman.     

The geological and geomorphic impact of catastrophic landslides in the Geyser Valley of Kamchatka: Aerial photogrammetry

We consider the results of the 19730–2008 aerial photogeodetic surveys conducted in the famous Geyser Valley of Kamchatka by the Institute of Volcanology (IV) of the Far East Division (FED) of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), in 1973–1993, and by its successor, the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (IV&S) FED RAS, in 2007–2008, in cooperation with the Chair of Photogrammetry at the Novosibirsk Institute of Engineers in Geodesy, Aerial Photograph Survey and Cartography (to be referred to here by the Russian abbreviation NIIGAiK), in 1973–1985. The aerial survey performed by the IV following Typhoon Elsa in October 1981 identified and recorded the typhoon-induced landslide that was the first to occur during the observation period in the east side of the valley. The measured area of landslide deposits is 28600 m 2 and its volume is 80000 m³. An analysis of materials resulting from the July 12, 2007 aerial photograph survey was the basis for an objective evaluation of the impact of the June 3, 2007 catastrophic event in the Geyser Valley, for determining the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the new landforms, and for a long-term forecast of future hazardous events and processes. It was concluded that the hazardous natural events and processes that have occurred in the past will undoubtedly occur in the future as well. For this reason the Geyser Valley should be constantly monitored using highly accurate geodetic and remote sensing techniques.     

SCAP on ESO

Mike Bode, Phil Charles and Carlos Frenk report on a Standing Conference of Astronomy Professors meeting to consider the UK–ESO question, held at the Royal Astronomical Society on 22 June 2000.     

Towards the future – Birmingham UKSP 2005

This year's annual UK Solar Physics Meeting was held in parallel with the National Astronomy Meeting in Birmingham, from 4–8 April 2005. Bill Chaplin and Robert Erdélyi report on proceedings.     

Observations of the solar radio emission with the Callisto spectrometer

In the framework of the program for setting the Callisto spectrometer network into operation, the spectral measurements were carried out at the sites of spectrometer locations in India and Russia in winter 2006. The results achieved at Badary, the site where the Siberian Solar Radio Telescope (SSRT) is located, are presented. The measurements were performed using a broadband log-periodic antenna connected to the Callisto spectrometer developed at the Institute of Astronomy (Zurich). The results of these measurements should explain whether spectral studies at frequencies below 1 GHz can be performed using such antennas or new antennas should be developed. The presented results are compared with the similar results obtained in Switzerland in the frequency intervals of interest for radio astronomy. Concerning electromagnetic noise, Badary is a better site for observing the Sun in the 50–800 MHz frequency range as compared to observatories in Switzerland.     

Profile: Jim Hinton

Jim Hinton, Professor of Observational Astronomy at the University of Leicester and a 2009 Philip Leverhulme Prizewinner, talks about the high-energy frontier of astronomy.     

Observation of the Radio Radiation Flux of the Sun and Flares at a Wavelength of 5 cm

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - The results of long-term mesoscale observations in the microwave range are reviewed. The rationale for the resumption of observations at the Havana Radio Astronomy...     

Dr Günther Eichhorn

The Award for Service to Astronomy is given to Dr Günther Eichhorn of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.     

Young scientists win Philip Leverhulme Prizes

Four young researchers have each received £70 000 for their research, in the form of the 2007 Philip Leverhulme Prizes for Astronomy and Astrophysics.     

RAS National Astronomy Meeting 2005

Shortly after Easter, more than 430 registrants gathered at the the University of Birmingham for the Royal Astronomical Society's annual National Astronomy Meeting, held jointly this year with the UK Solar Physics Meeting. Trevor Ponman summarizes the lively discussion and debate at the NAM.