Help wanted finding an article in Astronomy Now ca 1989

[JeremyS]

Around this time there was a monthly column “Variable Star Scene” written by John Isles.

In or around 1989 he wrote about the recurrent nova T Coronae Borealis and the discovery of its 1946 eruption by Frank Knight. The following month (I think) he mentioned another independent discovery of the outburst by Michael Woodman.

Might anyone be able to thumb through their back numbers to find these, please?

[mcrowle]

I still have the first AN issue that I bought, June 1989. This has a feature on R Corona Borealis, but it refers to an article on T in the June 1988 issue. Maybe that's the one you need, but it's from before I became a reader. Good luck in your search!

Regards, Mike.

[mcrowle]

Contrary to my previous post, I've now located AN issues back to Oct 1987, which must have been my first! I've found the June 1988 article, and I think the June 1989 one must be the follow-up.

Regards, Mike.

Edited July 13 by mcrowle

[JeremyS]

Thanks Mike @mcrowle. Does either article mention the 1946 discovery by Knight or Woodman?

[mcrowle]

Yes, from the June 1989 article:

”…the 1946 outburst of this object was detected by Frank Knight, who was observing R CrB with binoculars, just before dawn on the night of February 8/9, when he noticed T CrB bright at mag. 3.4.

Although it was Knight’s report that alerted astronomers to the outburst, the first detection was by a 15-year-old boy, M.H.J. Woodman, before 3 a.m. on the same morning; he reported his observation by letter to the Astronomer Royal”.

Regards, Mike.

[JeremyS]

Super - many thanks Mike 👍🏻