A message from NAA President Nick Freville
April 2011  

‘Oh to be in England
Now that April’s there
And whoevere wakes in England
sees some morning unaware

Yes, the well known poem by Robert Browning heralding this month. We could also say oh to be out star watching now that April is here because on this months In Focus Calvin has listed a host of interesting galaxies and messier objects to search for and most rather distant, small and faint. So, all we need now are good clear skies.
A few weeks ago a couple of amateur astronomers appeared to have caught a flash of light appearing on the Moons dark side and although it has not yet been officially confirmed, its thought the flash may be the result of a meteoroid impact with the Moons surface. This brings one to business of thoroughly scrutinising the Moons surface and where amateurs can come into their own.
Many years ago the society had a highly interesting and detailed talk under the title: ‘TLP-Trans Lunar Phenomena’ Basically what the talk was about was that the Moon was far from inert and lifeless but with careful observation one could occasionally detect strange colours, vents, change in the landscape etc, which obviously implied on going activity either within the Moon or impact from meteors which in some cases could be large enough to give and show new craters.
So who knows what on going study of the Moons surface might reveal, one may discover really radical and provoking changes.

Nick Freville
President
Northants Amateur Astronomers