Recent picture of Comet Halley

SteveDallas · 09-12-2003, 07:47 PM

OK, this is cool... at least to astro-geeks. It's not exactly going to make the cover of Time magazine and set off a telescope-buying frenzy.

http://www.eso.org/outreach/press-re...hot-27-03.html

Bitman · 09-12-2003, 08:01 PM

It's a 3D picture, you have to cross your eyes.

Elspode · 09-12-2003, 09:40 PM

It was Halley that got me into astronomy in the 80's in the first place. Or rather, the reason I bought a telescope.

I prepared myself for a full year before it was even possible to see with amateur equipment. We found it when it was still four months from perihelion, a small fuzzy blob that, over the course of a few hours, could be seen to have noticably changed positions in relation to the starfield it was in.

On the morning of perihelion, I stayed out all night long in 20 degree weather and 20 mph winds, awaiting its rising just 30 minutes before the sun. It was awesome watching its long, long tail pointing upward from the horizon, growing longer as the sky slowly brightened. When the coma finally cleared the horizon, it was a truly humbling moment for me.

We went on to watch it recede from the Earth, and were able to observe it with a 10" dobsonian all the way into late Spring. It wasn't Halley's most auspicious apparition, but it was the only one that most of us will ever see, and it was grand.

09-12-2003, 07:47 PM	#1
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	Recent picture of Comet Halley OK, this is cool... at least to astro-geeks. It's not exactly going to make the cover of Time magazine and set off a telescope-buying frenzy. http://www.eso.org/outreach/press-re...hot-27-03.html

09-12-2003, 09:40 PM	#3
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	It was Halley that got me into astronomy in the 80's in the first place. Or rather, the reason I bought a telescope. I prepared myself for a full year before it was even possible to see with amateur equipment. We found it when it was still four months from perihelion, a small fuzzy blob that, over the course of a few hours, could be seen to have noticably changed positions in relation to the starfield it was in. On the morning of perihelion, I stayed out all night long in 20 degree weather and 20 mph winds, awaiting its rising just 30 minutes before the sun. It was awesome watching its long, long tail pointing upward from the horizon, growing longer as the sky slowly brightened. When the coma finally cleared the horizon, it was a truly humbling moment for me. We went on to watch it recede from the Earth, and were able to observe it with a 10" dobsonian all the way into late Spring. It wasn't Halley's most auspicious apparition, but it was the only one that most of us will ever see, and it was grand. __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

09-12-2003, 08:01 PM	#2
Bitman cellar smellar Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: californy, baby! Posts: 403	It's a 3D picture, you have to cross your eyes.

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