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From: ajs@hpfcla
Newsgroups: net.astro
Subject: Re: comet observations
Message-ID: <37600012@hpfcla>
Date: Mon, 17-Mar-86 15:35:00 EST
Article-I.D.: hpfcla.37600012
Posted: Mon Mar 17 15:35:00 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 22-Mar-86 03:29:08 EST
Lines: 23

> Anyone else have interesting observations?

Perhaps.  I and another person spent the night on Horsetooth Peak
(7255') just west of Fort Collins (~5000') on March 5-6.  We watched the
comet and crescent moon rise through some haze and partial clouds (low
to the horizon) at about 0440 local time.  It was barely naked-eye
visible, due to the haze and city lights, until about 0535.

I did manage to get some stunning pictures (if I may say so :-) with an
ordinary 50mm lens, f/1.7, ISO200 film, 30-60 sec exposures.  They show
the moon glowing yellow through clouds, the comet clearly visible in a
blue break in the clouds, some stars, city lights, and some long streaks
from cars on the roads below.

Unfortunately it's been cloudy since the 9th or so and promises to remain
that way the rest of this moon-free window.  Sigh.  I was planning to
spend a night out in the grasslands (east, on the plains) to see it again.

Too bad it's not around in July-September.  It would be a dynamite thrill
to see it from Longs Peak (14255').

Alan Silverstein, Hewlett-Packard Fort Collins Systems Division, Colorado
{ihnp4 | hplabs}!hpfcla!ajs, 303-226-3800 x3053, N 40 31'31" W 105 00'43"