dipper@utastro.UUCP (Debbie Byrd) (09/14/85)
Two famous comets are near each other on the dome of the sky tonight. More -- in a moment. September 14 Comet Duet Two comets appear very near each other on the dome of the sky tonight. Neither one is bright enough to be seen without a telescope -- but you've probably heard of them both. The comets are Giacobini-Zinner and Halley. Just a few days ago the first spacecraft ever to visit a comet passed near Giacobini-Zinner. Next March several more spacecraft will encounter Comet Halley. Both of these comets have orbits that are steeply inclined to the ecliptic, or plane of Earth's orbit around the sun. But Halley and Giacobini-Zinner have very different paths through the solar system. Giacobini-Zinner moves around the sun once every six-and-a-half years. It passed closest to the sun on September 5th -- and is now heading outward in the solar system. Comet Halley, on the other hand, is now moving toward the sun. It travels around the sun in the opposite direction to Giacobini-Zinner. Right now Giacobini-Zinner looks about forty times brighter than Halley -- and its apparent position against the stars is changing more rapidly -- since this comet is now closer to the sun and the Earth. But, though they're not really near each other in space, tonight both comets appear close together in the sky -- in the vicinity of the club of the hunter in the constellation Orion. At their closest, they'll be about two degrees apart on the dome of the sky -- about four times the diameter of the moon. Again, you'd need a telescope to see the comets. But if you did see them, you'd be looking at the two most famous comets in history. Script by Diana Hadley. (c) Copyright 1984, 1985 McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at Austin
follmer@hplabs.UUCP (09/16/85)
I think this is a great service you are providing. However, they always arrive on my system a day or two too late; is there any way you can post them a little ahead of time? Thanks hplabs!follmer