tencati@JPL-VLSI.ARPA (01/15/86)
The phone number for recorded Voyager information is (818)354-7650 also
(FTS)792-7650.
The International Halley Watch, based at JPL maintains two recorded messages
which are updated ~daily. For non-technical information, the number is
(818)354-4300/(FTS)792-4300. For amateur astronomers, a recording providing
current celestial coordinates and magnitude data is available by calling
(818)354-4301/(FTS)792-4301.
For photographing Halley and human subjects in the same frame, it depends on
how bright the comet appears. If you can track the stars, then take a picture
from 5-15 minutes depending on film speed (10 minutes will give good star
images too). If you cannot track the stars, I would not recommend a picture
longer than about 5 minutes with the telephoto as the image will begin to blur.
If you use the 50mm lens, you could maybe get by with a good 5-min exposure.
Put the comet in one part of the frame, then take a flash picture of the human
subjects (against a dark sky, with no other objects in the field of view) on
the same frame that you just exposed the comet.
Since your trip is not scheduled for April, and Halley comes but "once in a
lifetime...", try shooting pictures of the stars with your camera, and place
human subjects in those pictures. That way, you will get the best feel for
your own camera (oops, I just noticed I forgot to say try experimenting NOW)
and when you go to Hawaii, you can get the most out of your experience.
Ron Tencati
JPL-VLSI.ARPA