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- Create Date 31 August 2023
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BASIL September 2023
The Society received the very sad news in the last few weeks that two of our Vice-Presidents have passed away, Professor Mark Birkinshaw and our longest serving member Maurice Brain. The front cover of September's BASIL contains a message from the BAS Chair, Fiona Lambert, and tributes to Mark and Maurice are given on pages 30 and 31.
Also in this month's BASIL, updates are given for the following:
- Predicted solar activity, solar cycle progression, lunar phases and events, solar system finder charts and planetary rise/set times.
- Observing calendar, highlights of the night sky, observable comets and asteroids, and the calendar of astronomical events for the month.
- Visible transits of the ISS.
Highlights of the month include:
- Neptune at opposition on 19 September.
- Autumnal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere on 23 September.
Constellation of the month is Pegasus, which is well-placed for observing the globular cluster M15.
19 observing targets for the month are listed and more details are given for the following targets:
- Globular cluster M15 in Pegasus.
- Double star 61 Cygni in Cygnus.
On 12 September, there will be an asteroid occultation of a 10.9 magnitude star in the constellation of Orion - see page 29 (data provided by BAS member Nigel Wakefield).
Society News gives details of the 2023 programme of talks and events up to the end of the year and a reminder to renew your BAS subscription for the start of the new programme year in September.