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(meteorobs) Excerpts from "SKY & TELESCOPE'S NEWS BULLETIN, OCTOBER 30, 1998"




[Several items of interest to meteorists this week! Note S&T's
 redistribution terms at the end of this excerpt... -Lew Gramer]

------- Forwarded Message

Date: Sat, 31 Oct 1998 01:25:42 -0600
From: stargate@gtedot net
To: dedalus@latrade.com
Subject: S&T's News Bulletin for October 30, 1998

SKY & TELESCOPE'S NEWS BULLETIN

OCTOBER 30, 1998

[...]

DEEP SPACE 1 READY TO DRIVE

Deep Space 1, the first spacecraft in NASA's New Millennium Program was
successfully launched from Florida just after 8 a.m. Eastern time on
October 24th. The spacecraft is operating well and flight controllers are
readying the it for an initial test of its ion-propulsion engine, scheduled
for November 9th. The engine will heat xenon and expel ions at 30
kilometers per second to provide a small but steady thrust. Although the
main purpose of the mission is to test the ion engine and 11 other new
technologies, if all goes well, the spacecraft should flyby a small
asteroid 1992 KD in July 1999 and perhaps Comet Wilson-Harrington in
January 2001 and Comet Borrelly eight months later.

[...]

COMET GIACOBINI-ZINNER IN AQUILA

Comet watchers report that Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner is about 9th
magnitude. It is predicted to brighten a bit more by the end of November.
This week, Giacobini-Zinner passes near 3.4-magnitude Lambda Aquilae, the
tail star of Aquila. The comet should be detectable as a dim, fuzzy patch
in medium-size telescopes. It lies about 20 to 40 degrees above the western
horizon, depending on your latitude, at the end of evening twilight.
However, a bright Moon will reduce its visibility. For a finder chart, see
page 107 of the November *Sky & Telescope,* or visit
http://www.skypub.com/comets/comets.html. Here are positions for Comet
Giacobini-Zinner for 0 hours Universal Time (2000.0 coordinates) for the
coming week:

                R.A.       Dec.

October  31   18h 54m   -03.2 deg.
November  2   19h 02m   -04.2 deg.
November  4   19h 10m   -05.2 deg.

[...]

THIS WEEK'S "SKY AT A GLANCE"

Some daily events in the changing sky, from the editors of SKY & TELESCOPE.

[...]

NOV. 2 -- MONDAY

[...]

  * Comet Giacobini-Zinner is passing close by Lambda Aquilae, the tail
star of Aquila, the Eagle. The comet should be about 9th magnitude,
detectable as a dim, fuzzy patch in medium-size telescopes. For a finder
chart see the November Sky & Telescope, page 107, or
http://www.skypub.com/comets/giacobini-zinner_1998.html.

[...]

SKY & TELESCOPE, P.O. Box 9111, Belmont, MA 02478  *  617-864-7360 (voice)

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