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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.

- 2 -


Fourth Annual Report of C&N Section (cont'd.)

3.  BULLETINS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS, cont'd.

Announc.    Date        Subject
 1          Dec. 1961   Comet Seki.
 2          Mar. 1962   Comet Seki-Lines, 1962c.
 3       23 Mar. 1962   Comet Seki-Lines, 1962c.
 4       18 June 1962   Comet Humason, 1961e.
 5       19 Feb. 1963   Comet Ikeya, 1963a.
 6       26 Feb. 1963   Nova Herculis, 1963.
 7        7 Apr. 1963   Comet Alcock, 1963b.
 8        5 July 1964   Comet Tomita-Gerber-Honda, 1964e.
 9       21 July 1964   Comet Ikeya, Comet Tomita-Gerber-Honda.
10       30 Sep. 1965   Comet Ikeya-Seki, 1965f, and Comet Alcock, 1965b.
11        7 Oct. 1965   Comet Ikeya-Seki, Comet Alcock, Nova Herculis 1963, etc.
12       29 Nov. 1966   Comet Rudnicki, 1966e, and five other comets.



4.  OTHER INFORMATION, AND SUMMARY.
       One member (David Levy, Montreal) made telescopic searches for comets.
He searched for a total of 59 hours and 20 minutes during 1966.  As this
report was being prepared, five more 1966 observations of Comet Kilston
were reported, bringing the total to 62.
       Eight of the seventeen Centres were represented in this section in
one way or another, last year; either in searching or observing comets.
They were:  Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, Niagara Falls, Windsor,
Quebec, and Victoria.  One unattached member took part.
       Of the many comet observations made last year, only a few gave detailed
reports.  Most gave little more detail than "I saw it."  Although even these
reports are welcome, the Coordinator would liek to receive more detailed
reportes so that a study could be made of them.  However, it is difficult to
encourage observer's to spend the time required to fill out duplicate
reports.  Possibly, if a comet observation report form were printed, it would
help.  The Coordinator of this section would like the opinion of the National
Chairmen and Committee.
        Although a record number of seraches were made during 1966, there has
been some falling-off in activity.  More than half of these searches were
made by only one member.  The high number of observations of Comet Kilston
are also largely responsible to another single member.  However, the Coordinator
hopes to stimulate interest among more members during 1967.








April 20, 1967                          Respectfully submitted,
Box 172, AMF Postal Station            Jim Low, National Coordinator
Montreal International Airport         Comet and Nova Section
Dorval, P.Q.                           S.C.O.A., R.A.S.C.