660000AnnualReport4_p1

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THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA
STANDING COMMITTEE FOR OBSERVATIONAL ACTIVITIES

COMET AND NOVA SECTION

FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT
for 1966.


NOTE:
       This annual report includes a summary of the section since it formed
in 1961.


1.  SEARCHES FOR COMETS AND NOVAE:

      JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC    TOTAL  No. Obs.
1962   74  90 121  67  59  75 196 298 325 244 245 160     1954     27
1963  172 175 215 235 180 143 225 227 214 236 112 165     2299     21
1964            No monthly figures                        2222     13
1965  116 151 208 168 171 180 225 178 189 178  93  86     1943     16
1966  164 261 207 134 132 177 295 276 222 250 176 182     2476     19

      TOTAL SEARCHES FROM 1962 TO 1966 (5 years)         10894

Most members searched 10° x 10° areas with binoculars, usually to about
sixth magnitude.  During 1966, one member made numerous other searches.
Of the 2476 searches during 1966, David levy made 1271, or over half.

2.  OBSERVATIONS OF COMETS AND NOVAE, 1966.
       During the past year, the following observations were made of
comets:
                          Number      Number      Number
                          Observatns. Observers   Centres
Kilston, 1966b               57          7           4
Barbon, 1966c                 3          2           2
Ikeya-Everhart, 1966d         1          1           1

The Coordinator of this section has not studied these observations yet,
but hopes to analse the Kilston reports in the near future.
       Mr. H.N.A. Maclean made two more observations of Nova Herculis, 1963
during 1966, and it appears to be near a steady 14th magnitude.

5.  BULLETINS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:
       In 1966, two Bulletins and one Announcement were issued.  The follow-
ing is a list of all Bulletins and Announcements that were issued since
the formation of this section:

Bulletin              Subject
 1    15 Novem1961    Introduction to C&N Section.
 2     1 Mar. 1962    Request for reports of searches.
 3    18 June 1962    Report on searches and observations.
 4    19 Mar. 1963    Summary of searches and observations for 1962.
 5    15 Mar. 1964    Summary of searches and observations for 1963.
 6       Aug. 1965    Re-introduction of section, summary for 1964.
 7       July 1966    Report on observations of Comet Ikeya-Seki.
 8    21 Sep. 1966    Summary of searches for 1965, notes on 3 comets.