home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Space & Astronomy
/
Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso
/
mac
/
TEXT
/
JPLNEWS1
/
0998.PR
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1993-04-23
|
4KB
|
153 lines
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIF. 91109. TELEPHONE (213) 354-5011
FOR RELEASE SATURDAY, AUG. 21, 1982
An international network of scientists and amateur ì
ì
astronomers is being organized to observe Comet Halley as ì
ì
part of a coordinated program when the comet passes Earth in ì
ì
1986, it was announced today at a meeting of the International
Astronomical Union in Patras, Greece.
The organization, called the International Halley ì
ì
Watch (IHW), will be led by Ray Newburn, cometary science ì
ì
team leader at Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, ì
ì
Calif., U.S.A., and Jurgen Rahe, director of Remeis ì
ì
Observatory (Bamberg) of the University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, ì
ì
Erlangen, Federal Republic of Germany.
The IHW invites all Comet Halley observers, ì
ì
professional or amateur, to share their data with the IHW ì
ì
networks now being created. Ground-based observations along ì
ì
with those of balloon, airborne and Earth-orbital instruments ì
ì
will be collected by the IHW. Data compiled by the IHW will ì
ì
form the Halley Archive, the largest collection of ì
ì
information ever produced on a single comet.
Japan, the Soviet Union, and the European Space ì
ì
Agency are each sending spacecraft to encounter the comet in ì
ì
1986, and plan to supply their scientific results to the ì
ì
Halley Archive.
Experiment teams supported by the IHW will study ì
ì
the comet using seven general techniques:
* Large-scale phenomena studies will use wide angle ì
ì
photography to study the comet's tails.
* Near-nucleus studies, using high-resolution photo-ì
ì
graphic and electronic imaging of the coma, will yield data ì
ì
on the nucleus, its rotation rate, surface structure, and the ì
ì
comet's general activity.
* Spectroscopy and spectrophotometry will provide ì
ì
data on the physical composition of the nucleus, coma and ì
ì
tail.
* Photometry and polarimetry will determine the ì
ì
abundances and distribution of volatile and non-volatile ì
ì
components of the coma and tail.
* Radio science experiments study the chemical ì
ì
composition and kinematics, or motion, of the coma, nucleus ì
ì
and tail, searching for chemical species not discernable in ì
ì
optical wavelengths. Radio experiments will also detect ì
ì
thermal emissions from solids and perform studies of plasmas.
* Infrared spectroscopy and radiometry will ì
ì
determine the temperature, size and composition of dust ì
ì
particles released by the comet. Gaseous components may also ì
ì
be identified.
* Astrometric observations -- studies of Halley's ì
ì
position in relation to stars -- will provide information on ì
ì
the comet's orbit and ephemeris. The observations will also ì
ì
help determine what effect outgassing of ice from the nucleus ì
ì
has on the comet's velocity.
The efforts of amateur astronomers will be ì
ì
coordinated by the IHW to complement those of professionals:
* Amateur visual and photographic observations will ì
ì
be compared with those of the l9l0 apparition of Halley.
* Spectroscopy and photoelectric photometry of the ì
ì
comet obtained by amateurs can provide supplementary coverage
of Halley in cases of weather interference at major ì
ì
observatories.
* Amateur studies of meteors during the Halley ì
ì
apparition will be especially helpful, since few professional ì
ì
astronomers devote time to meteor observations. The Eta ì
ì
Aquarid meteor shower in May 1986 and the Orionid Meteor ì
ì
shower in October in the same year are believed to originate ì
ì
from Halley.
The IHW office at JPL is funded by NASA, and the ì
ì
Bamberg office is supported by the Federal Republic of ì
ì
Germany.
#####
#998
8/21/82MBM