About the AAQ

The Astronomical Association of Queensland (AAQ) is Queensland’s original astronomical body, with its history extending back to 1896, when a group of people met in Brisbane and agreed to collectively purchase a 6-inch Grubb telescope for £70. The Association’s principal objectives are the fostering of the science of astronomy, encompassing research and public education, and the encouragement and support of observational astronomy.

Meetings are held monthly at the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium and regular field nights are held in Brisbane and at dark sky sites. The AAQ publishes a monthly newsletter, an annual proceedings and has an extensive library available to members. Members may also hire telescopes owned by the AAQ. Membership is open to all those with an interest in astronomy.

Constitution

Members can download a 107KB Adobe PDF of the AAQ Constitution.

Office Bearers And Section Directors

Administration of the Association is undertaken by the AAQ Council composed of the following office bearers and Councilors:

President – the principal officer of the Association, responsible for controlling and setting the agenda of the meetings, oversees the running of the Association and provides an annual report. The current president is Peter Anderson.

Vice President – fulfils the duties of the President in his absence. The current Vice President is Cheryl Capra.

Treasurer – responsible for managing all incoming and outgoing monies, issuing of receipts for monies paid to the Association, the maintenance of financial records and accounts and the presentation of an annual financial statement. The current Treasurer is Peter Culshaw.

General Secretary – responsible for keeping the minutes of all meetings, attend to general correspondence, advise all applicants for membership of the Council decision, provide a copy of the Constitution of the Association to new members, and provide a General Secretary’s annual report. The current General Secretary is Jonathan Bradshaw.

Technical Secretary – attend to all technical correspondence, report transient phenomena, maintain a register of members’ observatories and instruments, be responsible for the maintenance and hiring of Association equipment, and provide the Technical Secretary’s annual report. The current Technical Secretary is Des Janke with assistance from Peter Hall.

Councilors – assist the office bearers in the running of the Association. The current Councilors are Graeme Jenkinson, Roy Axelsen, Tim Napier-Munn and Terry Cuttle.

The AAQ has the following special interest sections:

Astrophotography – the photography, film and digital, of astronomical objects and transient phenomena. The current Section Director is Max Kilmister.

Computers – computer related astronomical topics. The current Section Director is Gary Hart.

Instruments – amateur telescope making. The current Section Director is Greg Bond.

Occultations - the timing of the occultation of stars by the Moon and asteroids. The Section Director is Steve Kerr.

Solar System - the observation and study of objects within our solar system. The current Section Director is Tony Dutton.

Variable Stars – the observation of stars that fluctuate in brightness. The current Section Director is Roy Axelsen .

Visual Observing - the observation of deep sky (outside the solar system) objects. Cheryl Capra and Graeme Jenkinson are co-Section Directors. Cheryl focusses on our school field nights, Graeme on information on visual observing events and practices.

Double Stars - the observation of double and multiple stars. The current Section Director is Tim Napier-Munn. In addition to information and ecouragement in observing these sights, you can take part in the AAQ Resolution Survey.

History

Astronomy in Queensland in the nineteenth century was chiefly related to geodetic surveys in establishing the boundaries of the State. An event which attracted wider attention was the 1882 Transit of Venus. However the pursuit of astronomy for its own sake remained in the hands of a few amateurs such as Captain O'Reilly. On June 5th 1896, a group of people met in the School of Arts in Brisbane and agreed to purchase a 6 inch Grubb telescope for £70. On August 7th 1896, the first meeting of the Brisbane Astronomical Society took place. This Society declined over the years and last met on 30th September 1911. The Astronomical Society of Queensland was formed on June 4th 1927. Funds and property from the Brisbane Astronomical Society were legally transferred to the new body. A monthly Bulletin was started in 1933. During World War 2, the Society continued to function and in fact increased its membership, including temporary members from the armed forces of both the United States and Australia. In 1969 a separate organization, the Astronomers' Association Queensland was founded. The two organisations amalgamated in June 1978 to form the present AAQ, which was formally incorporated in June 1982 under the Religious, Educational and Charitable Organizations Act of 1861. The majority of members are and always have been 'armchair astronomers', interested in astronomy, its history and its discoveries and theories, content to attend a meeting, have fun at a field night, astrocamp or expedition, or dip into the Association's extensive library. Nevertheless, it has always been the case that an enthusiastic minority of members have made significant contributions to the science.

Some of the highlights and achievements of the Association and its members are:

11 November 1896 - Lunar occultation of 19 Capricorni.

1931 - Discovery of a variable star in Centaurus.

21 August 1931 - Lunar occultation of Antares.

1950 - Report of a Blue Moon.

13 September 1957 - Photographs of Red Aurora Type A, O emission at 6300 A.

1960 onwards - Members reported on lunar occultations and searched for Transient Lunar Phenomena. One member at present leads Australia in numbers of lunar occultations reported. Several members have specialized in asteroidal occultations; in the authoritative book "Asteroids II" 40 successful asteroidal occultations are reported (world-wide) of which 3 are by AAQ members.

1961 – Establishment of specialist sections within the organization for variable stars, astrophotography, etc.

1960 – 1965 - Two Schmidt telescopes were constructed. These played an important role in variable star work, including new suspect variables near the recurrent nova T Pyxidis.

1963 – 1978 - Visual and photographic observations of flare stars, jointly with the CSIRO. From 1978 international programs involving photoelectric observations of flare stars.

1969 - A telephone service was established to answer queries from the public.

August 1969 - The irregular variable 66 Ophiuci was reported to flare twice (a major discovery). One member became an enthusiast in flare star observation and has produced no less than four books on this subject. Two members have observed a considerable number of Southern Hemisphere cluster flare stars.

1970 - The first two Australian non-University observatories to use photoelectric photometry were constructed.

1972. A new meteor shower was recorded.

1972 – 1973 – A member developed Cold Camera Techniques.

October 1976 - A Solar Eclipse expedition comprising of 42 members travelled by bus to Victoria and successfully observed the total solar eclipse.

1982 - The AAQ organised the 10th National Australian Convention of Amateur Astronomers in Brisbane.

1985 - A member became the first Australian amateur astronomer to be elected a Member of the International Astronomical Union.

1985 - Several members successfully recorded the first photoelectric measurement of the occultation of a star by Neptune.

The Edward Corbould Research Fund was established in 1987 to support research in astronomy by members of the AAQ who are amateur or student astronomers, not necessarily resident in Queensland.

June 1988 - A number of members took part in observing the occultation of a 12th magnitude star by Pluto, one member travelling as far afield as Darwin. These measurements have assisted the world-wide effort to estimate Pluto's diameter.

1989 - The Kitty Kent Memorial Award for Service to the AAQ was established to distinguish members who had made outstanding contributions to the Association.

February 1991. Asteroid 5 Astraea was observed to occult the star SAO 96089.

October 1993 - A member used a CCD photometer to obtain data on two novae.

December 1993 - Asteroid Metis was observed to occult the star SAO 128628.

July 1994 - Several members observed the near Earth asteroid NF132.

July 1994 – The impacts of the fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 on Jupiter were observed by many members.

November 1994 - A member observed a four event grazing lunar occultation of the star ZC 2685.

1995 - A member established a period of around 210 days for the suspected long period eclipsing star HDE331015.

1996 and onwards - A regular programme of observing variable stars was established.

July 1997 - Occultation of the star TR176 by Triton was successfully observed by several members and Dr Wolfgang Beisker and Dr Evi Hummel of IOTA's European Section. The occultation was observed from Ipswich, The Gap, Bundaberg, Lochington, Ducabrook and Chillagoe.

February 1998 - Two members observed the total solar eclipse from the Caribbean.

22 May 1999 – A member discovers a nova (V382 Vel) in the constellation Vela.

15 May 2000 – A member discovers a supernova (SN 2000CJ) in NGC 6753.

21 June 2001 – Many members observe a total solar eclipse in Zimbabwe as part of an AAQ eclipse excursion.

August 2001 – The AAQ Lunar Observing Programme commences.

December 2002 – Many members participate in the AAQ eclipse expedition to Ceduna and successfully onserve the total solar eclipse.

12 June 2003 – A member discovers a supernova (SN 2003GD) in NGC 628.

26 November 2004 – A member records his 100,000th variable star observation.

From The President

by Peter Anderson

At the time of my assuming office at the Annual General Meeting I gave a short explanation of my background for those members who were not familiar with myself and with the past history of the AAQ. I also offered general comment and drew attention to the contributions of some of the members such as Peter Hall and Harold Powell who were present and are members to this day. At the meeting, I was asked to write a summary for the ‘Newsletter’ and this is the background to this offering. Please bear in mind that a number of disparate subjects have been covered and I have attempted to tell my story chronologically, even if it does appear to switch between subjects.

In 1896 the Brisbane Astronomical Society (BAS) was formed. Due to various difficulties and personality disputes, it appears to have gone out of existence during the First World War. In 1927 a society was formed that contained a number of members and officers of the old Brisbane Astronomical Society and within a short space of time it adopted the name ‘Astronomical Society of Queensland’ (ASQ). At this time the funds and property of the BAS were transferred so a legitimate link was established with the earlier organisation.

I was born in 1942 and my younger childhood interests were ‘Astronomy and prehistoric animals’ and gradually astronomy took over. As a teenager (under supervision – at Adult education Night Classes), I made my first ‘proper’ telescope, a 6 inch F11.5 reflector in 1958. Bill Oliver still has this telescope. (Peter Hall was actually started a few years before me at night classes and with the ASQ.) The telescopes of this era were of the ‘grind it yourself variety’ with the main mirror from ships’ porthole glass. At that stage nearly all observations were naked eye with the occasional astrophotographs on 120 or 620 roll film – generally printed as small 6 X 8cm contact prints. It was not until the early to mid 60’s that 35mm single lens reflex cameras and more sophisticated equipment started becoming available/popular.

I first attended ASQ meetings in 1958 and Arthur Page was President at the time. Following him from 1960 to 1962 was Peter Hall and both of these gentlemen continue as AAQ members. I continued my interest making (still under supervision) a 10 inch reflector in 1961, that had to be stopped down to 9½ inches because of a turned down edge, a common ATM defect then due to the expansion of plate glass mirrors. I repurchased that instrument not many years ago and still use it occasionally.

From 1961, I was Director of the ASQ’s newly established Lunar Section, and served on Council. I was President for the first time between 1966 and 1968.

AAQ 'Mark 1' after the inaugural meeting on 8th February 1969. Harold Powell at front 3rd from left. Arthur Page extreme right. The late Berenice Page at front second from right. Peter Anderson and his wife Evon are between Berenice and Arthur.

In February 1969, with Arthur Page as the convenor, the ‘Astronomers’ Association, Queensland’ (AAQ Mark 1) was formed to cater for observational astronomers. I was a foundation member and went on to become President in 1972/73. Shortly after this time I commenced Lunar Occultation observations and later that decade Asteroidal Occultations.

At this time one of the interesting developments was the use of cooled emulsion photography to reduce that bugbear of astrophotographers, reciprocity failure. Harold Powell, was President of the AAQ between 1977 and December 1978 and pioneered this method in Queensland in the early 70’s from his observatory at Chinchilla. He innovatively obtained his dry ice by venting pressurised carbon dioxide from a cylinder through a small jet into the rear of his camera. The expansion of the gas after passing through this nozzle instantly produced ‘dry ice snow’. I largely copied his excellent observatory design for my observatory and following his relatively recent move to Plainlands the roof of his observatory was transported and is now part of John Salini’s new observatory. (Harold now uses a nice Sirius dome for observations with his current instrument, an 8inch SCT.)

In the later 1970’s merger talks were held between the AAQ Mark 1 and the ASQ, and as a result the two bodies merged into a new combined body effective from May 1978, the old bodies being dissolved. The name Astronomical Association of Queensland (AAQ Mark 2), was chosen as a compromise name. Government red tape meant that this merger and registration was not registered for some time, and formal registration occurred in June 1982 shortly before the repeal of the old ‘R.E.C. Act’. (Our registration under this act continues to be valid despite this repeal and there are a number of definite advantages in being registered under the REC act.)

Therefore in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s there was once again one major Astronomical Society in Queensland. This was not to last. Due principally to personality differences, the mid 1980’s saw the formation of two new societies, from one of which a third later formed. And so this brings you up to date. The present AAQ can trace its direct history back to 1927 and indirectly back to 1896.

For my part, I was President of the AAQ Mark2 in 1987 & 1988 and in 1997 & 1998 and now again in 2008. As well I was a longtime Lunar and Occultation/Occultation Section Director, and am a member of, and was Secretary for several years of, the Edward Corbould Research Fund.

I had established an observatory at my home in 1980, with the major instrument being a 16 inch F6 Newtonian.

Over the years I had been interested in Total Solar Eclipses and organised various trips starting off with Mount Gambier in 1976, and recent examples have been to Zimbabwe 2001, Ceduna 2002, and Libya/Egypt 2006.

I received the Queensland Astronomical Societies 2000 achievement award for Lunar Occultation observations and was made an honorary life member of the AAQ in 2001.

In conclusion, an interesting observation is that, in this electronic and digital age, amateur astronomers are moving away from visual observations to methods which are more accurate. Results can now be recorded electronically/digitally and so are free of bias and are a lasting record capable of further investigation and interpretation. Visual observations will always play a part, and are very important for education and recreational enjoyment, but the demands for accuracy and a permanent record are resulting in ever reducing reliance on purely visual methods.

Astronomical Association of Queensland 2008. www.aaq.org.au