I N T R O D U C T I O N The DPR gives various kinds of daily data for the positions and areas of sunspots, including all sunspot groups that could be seen at least on two days. All spots, even the very small ones, have been separately measured in Debrecen and in the catalogue the results of measurements are given singly or jointly, whichever is reasonable, in each case with almost full particulars. Since nowadays it is understood that a sunspot group is essentially a magnetic system, therefore the DPR also indicates for each sunspot its magnetic polarity. All sunspot groups should be considered as being made up of one or several bipolar spot pairs. This is why we always try to find out the bipolar pairs of individual spots and to identify the spots one by one mainly by means of variation of their Carrington coordinates from day to day. The evolution of a sunspot group, i.e. its development and decay can be easily followed making use of the detailed data of our DPR catalogue. MATERIAL OF OBSERVATIONS 365 "white-light" photoheliograms for the year 1978, obtained 271 in Gyula (at our observing station), 82 in Kislovodsk, 6 in Kiev, 5 in Tashkent and 1 in Ussurijsk, were used one for each day. The 271 Gyula heliograms were selected from about 2500 heliograms, using the best from each day, and at least a second one was also measured, as a check-test. In addition, 60 extra heliograms obtained at the co-operating observatories were used as a control. Magnetic polarities determined at the Mount Wilson and the Yunnan observatories were principally used. In 1978 they had observations at Mount Wilson on 256 days and at Yunnan on 290 days. We used the copies of the original observations, i.e. the sunspot polarity drawings of Mt.Wilson and Yunnan. In addition, we also took into consideration some published data, e.g. Rome observations for the first half of 1978 (Oss.Astr.Roma, Monthly Bull. Nos.237-242) and the Russian Magn.Polya Soln.Pyaten (Suppl.to Soln. Dan.Byull.) for the year 1978. A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s are due to all observers: S.Rostas, L.Gyori and Z.Kiss in Gyula; V.P.Mikhailutsa and V.V.Makarova in Kislovodsk; T.B.Ake, T.S.Gregory, S.P.Padilla and L.Webster at Mt. Wilson; Zhang Heng, Li Bo-shu, Zhong Shu-hua, Lung Ti, Ye Hui-lian, Zhong Ling-sheng and also Ding You-ji in Yunnan. (Zhong Shu-hua kindly prepared for us duplicates of their records.) Special thanks from the editor (L.D.) are due to O.Gerlei who has been taking care continuously of the possibilities of our observations (in Debrecen and even in Gyula) since several decades. We are indebted to the leading scientists V.I.Makarov and the late M.N.Gnevyshev of Kislovodsk, as well as to R.F.Howard of Mt. Wilson and You-ji Ding of Yunnan for arranging for us the possibility to use their material of observations. OBSERVATIONS (Cf. DPR 1977,pp.13-14) In Gyula the heliograph objective of 14 cm (2 m focal length) was generally stopped down to 9 cm to take solar images of about 10 cm through yellow filters on Kodalith film or Gevaert plate as in 1977. At Kislovodsk and at the three other co-operating observatories similar heliographs of Maksutov-type were used. The 13 cm aperture was mostly stopped down to 5 cm to take solar images of 8 cm without any filter on glass (ORWO) photoplate. The geographic positions of the observatories are as follows: LONGITUDE LATITUDE ALTITUDE East of Greenwich North above see level h m s deg arcmin m Gyula 1 25 05 46 39.2 135 Kiev (Univ.Obs) 2 02 01 50 27.2 184 Kislovodsk 2 50 07 43 44.0 2130 Tashkent 4 37 10 41 19.5 477 Ussurijsk 8 48 41 43 40.8 150 INSTRUMENTAL CONSTANTS (Cf. DPR 1977,pp.15-21.) The photoplate should be perpendicular to the optical axis. In 1978 for the Gyula heliograph of German mounting the deviation from this perpendicularity, i.e. the inclination and its position angle were determined from 643 differences of spot positions, measured on pairs of plates taken within some minutes on east and west side of the pillar. For the inclination 0.42 deg and for its position angle 110 deg were found and used. For the distortion of the magnifying lens system of the Gyula heliograph we could use the same values as in 1977. ORIENTATION OF THE HELIOGRAMS (Cf. DPR 1977,pp.22-27) In order to determine the exact north-south direction, all in all 551 so-called zero heliograms (exposed twice with an interval of about 90 seconds between the two exposures, while the heliograph being firmly clamped) were taken on 26 days during the year. The orientation of the spider-wire was almost stable until Oct 9 (in spite of the fact that in the second half of June there were two small earthquakes). On Oct 9 a new spider wire had to be inserted, which had to be again changed for a new one on Dec 29. In case of the foreign heliograms the 60 extra plates, already mentioned, were used to control the orientation (cf. DPR 1977,p.28). MEASUREMENTS (Cf. DPR 1977,pp.29-30) All position measurements were carried out by means of an ASCORECORD coordinate measuring instrument exactly in the same way by A.Kovacs as it was made for DPR 1977. However, along the limb of the Sun's disc more points (at least 12) were measured: the 4 intersections of the perpendicular cross- wires with the limb; another 4: the ends of the vertical and horizontal solar diameters for determining the actual differential refraction at the moment of observation, and 4 additional limb points. The sunspot areas were determined with our special area measuring instrument (DAREAL) as it was done on the heliograms of 1977, however in the meantime the TV-camera of the DAREAL was replaced by a Pulnix CCD camera. This change did not cause any systematic differences in the area data, as it was proved by repeating the measurements of more than 100 well defined spot areas of 1977 by using the DAREAL with the CCD camera. The areas for the first half of 1978 were measured by O.Gerlei who made these measurements already for DPR 1977. Meanwhile, Gerlei made familiar the young student Zsuzsa Szolanics with this kind of area measurements, and after she repeated with success Gerlei's measurements, finally the areas for the second half of 1978 were determined by her. REDUCTION OF THE COORDINATES (Cf. DPR 1977,pp.31-35) The heliographic coordinates were calculated from the measurements exactly as for DPR 1977. In 1978 there were used 33 heliograms obtained at an altitude of 11 deg above the horizon, or at lower altitudes (the lowest was 5.1 deg), 26 out of the 33 were taken at Kislovodsk in winter-time. The calculations were performed by a small PC. The principal data for physical observation of the Sun are taken from The Astronomical Ephemeris for the year 1978 (H.M.Stationary Office, London, 1976). The longitude of the ascending node of the solar equator on the ecliptic for 1978.0 was 75 deg 27.2 arcmin.