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Hiding Hale-Bopp


Article: <19961103120135.29f49ce0.in@headsongs.com>
From: skip <skip@headsongs.com>
Subject: [ART] Hale Bopp Weirdness Update
Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 11:59:59 +700

Well, another month has gone by and still no pictures of the comet from the Hubble Space Telescope. The only picture from HST of the comet is from October of LAST YEAR! Many pictures of the comet from earth-based scopes were were 'accidently deleted' from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory site and although they promised to replace them, the last picture posted there is from May. They have 130 pictures from between July and October of last year and only 5 between February and May of this year. And after May - NONE! Compare this to the smaller and much less spectacular comet from last year (Hayukatake) which has 1000 pictures on the JPL site. Something very strange is going on here. See for yourself:

Hale-Bopp image archive:
http://newproducts.jpl.nasa.gov/comet/images.html

Hyakutake image archive:
http://newproducts.jpl.nasa.gov/comet/hyakutake/

Many astronomers seem to think that Hale Bopp is the brightest comet to come around since the 1500's. How come I can't find one recent (Fall 96) picture of Hale Bopp through a large telescope? The pictures through small telescopes that are available look very strange. Check out these pictures take by amateur astronomers on Sky And Telescope Magazine's website:

http://www.skypub.com/comets/hb06.html

If anyone sees any pictures of HaleBopp from this fall through a large telescope on the net somewhere, please send me the link. Thanks.

Skip
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