British Astronomical Association. Aurora Section.
Balfour Stewart Auroral Laboratory records, 1931-2001.
The bulk of the collection comprises boxes of auroral observations made in the period 1947-1985, and includes data collected during the International Geophysical Year (1957-1958), the International Year of Geophysical Co-operation (1959) and the International Quiet Sun Year (1964-1965). Material from this period was collected by James Paton and his successor, Douglas H. MacIntosh, and is arranged by geomagnetic longitude within monthly files. Continuation of their work by the British Astronomical Assn. Aurora Section is represented by aurora, magnetic and radio observations for the period 1986-2001 (N.B. magnetic and radio observations for the period before 1986 have not been deposited). Also included are register sheets for auroral observations, northern and southern hemispheres, 1976-1999; noctilucent cloud observations, 1964-1980; material from the International Polar Year, 1932-1933; auroral observations and photographs from Fort Rae, Canada, 1932-1933; and auroral observations and noctilucent cloud observations made at Kirkwall, Orkney, 1931-1939.
The British Astronomical Association Aurora Section encourages observation of the aurora and of the noctilucent clouds that are visible in the period May - August in the northern hemisphere. It is involved in the recruitment and training of observers, and collection, analysis and reporting on the occurrences of auroral events. The Assn. became involved with noctilucent cloud studies (NCS) in 1964 when James Paton, late director, initiated an annual report in Meteorological Magazine. This work was undertaken under the auspices of the Balfour Stewart Auroral Laboratory, which was based in Edinburgh University Dept. of Meteorology, with a geophysical unit of the British Antarctic Survey, from 1965-1974. It was taken over by the officers of the Aurora Section of the British Astronomical Association in 1983.
Auroras -- Observations.
Auroral photography.
Meteorology -- Research
Noctilucent clouds -- Observations.
Balfour Stewart Auroral Laboratory.
Paton, James, 1928-1973.
University of Edinburgh. Dept. of Meteorology.
AIP-ICOS
University of Aberdeen. Dept. of Special Libraries and Archives. King's College. Aberdeen AB 9 ZUB