Brian Jones

An astronomical annual first published in 1962 was set to end with its 2016 volume. Brian Jones, a Bradford man and a founder member of the Bradford Astronomical Society, set about keeping it going: he recruited contributors, self-published the 2017 Yearbook of Astronomy with Richard Pearson, and when Pen and Sword asked what astronomy projects he could bring them he proposed the Yearbook, which they took on from the 2018 edition. He has edited it ever since, the 2024 edition included. That volume gathers monthly sky notes and star charts for planning a year of eclipses, meteor showers, comets and minor planets, alongside essays by various contributors on the X-ray astronomy pioneer Riccardo Giacconi, observing from Antarctica, and the telescope makers Thomas Cooke, Howard Grubb and Alvan Clark. Jones dates his interest to seeing stars through binoculars at the age of five. He wrote sky guides for local newspapers, taught the subject in schools, and has worked full time as an astronomy and space writer since 1985.