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From: ajs@hpfcla.UUCP (ajs)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Man-made comet on Christmas morning
Message-ID: <22000006@hpfcla.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 30-Nov-84 22:52:00 EST
Article-I.D.: hpfcla.22000006
Posted: Fri Nov 30 22:52:00 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 5-Dec-84 00:48:09 EST
Organization: Hewlett-Packard - Fort Collins, CO
Lines: 15
Nf-ID: #N:hpfcla:22000006:000:842
Nf-From: hpfcla!ajs    Nov 30 19:52:00 1984

Today's paper carries an AP article titled "Scientists to study man-made
comet on  Christmas".  A West  German  satellite  70,000  miles over the
equatorial  Pacific will dump a ball of barium early Christmas  morning,
to study the solar wind.  Researchers  say it will appear as a dot about
as bright as Polaris, and expand  rapidly to a  red-yellow  ball 1/6 the
size of the moon.

The  artificial  comet will be  visible  west of a line from  Chicago to
southern Texas, before sunrise.  Unfortunately, the article does not say
exactly when or where to look.  Does anyone know the exact time, and the
coordinates  over which the action will start?  If so, please  post your
answer.  Thanks!

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"