History.

Page 2 ( Last level.)
History.

One of the most active amateur astronomer in the beginning of this century was Sigurd Einbu. He observed variable stars and reported to the germane magazine Astronomisch Nachrichten. He also discovered a nova 1912 in Gemini. He inspired lots of future amateur astronomers.
People interested in Astronomy often had to be members of foreign societies until 1938 when a Norwegian society was founded. The first years NAS had lots of activities including telescope making which seemed to be popular.

The report from the first meeting should be read by all members.

The first meeting was so solemn that everyone had to write their names.

During the german occupation of Norway ( 1940 - 1945 ) it seems that the activity in NAS had a peak often with over 50 participants at the member meetings and over 500 members. But as everyone now knows the activity in NAS went to zero in 1948.

In 1968 NAS was awaken from its deep sleep with new opening and meetings.

The report from the first meeting.

With the reopening of NAS a new magazine was offered to the members, Astronomisk Tidsskrift. The magazine soon showed its profile. Advanced astrophysical articles about diffuse bands in stellar spectra, X-Ray, Radio sources and even an historical article about the Zodiac and its myths was presented the first year.

The premiere issue :

The front page.

The premiere article by
Kerstin Fredga.

( Astronomisk Tidsskrift is a common member magazine for the Swedish, Danish and Norwegian societies. )

Index on last page.

It was very difficult for ordinary member to present her or his ideas in this magazine. In the first years only highly educated people from Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, Stockholm Observatory, Kvistabergs Observatory, The astronomical university departments of Lund, Copenhagen and even Newcastle upon Tyne wrote their highly specialized articles.
For most members it was not so interesting to read those articles.

The funny thing is that in Astronomisk Tidsskrift no 2 and 3 ( 1968 ) there also was a full page advertise of a 3" Unitron refractor. ( At the time I wondered what this thing had to do in this magazine. )

The members who had to pay for this show was at last ( 1970 ) offered an additional magazine with an understanding that most members was not advanced students at an Institute of Astrophysics.

The magazine was called Amatørkontakt and was written for amateur astronomers. The editors was Helge Ivar Magnussen, Bjarne Jacobsen and Per Lorentzen.

In 1971 a new magazine called Amatørastronomen replaced the former with the editors Helge Ivar Magnussen, Bjarne Jacobsen and Carsten Deberitz. ( Deberitz later became the main editor. )

With two magazines the society now was able to cover the needs of most members and it has been like this until today.

The new magazine which replaced the former in 1990 is now called Astronomi.