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From: cmpbsdb@gitpyr.UUCP (Don Barry)
Newsgroups: net.astro
Subject: Re: Halley idetification
Message-ID: <1020@gitpyr.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 13-Nov-85 12:36:49 EST
Article-I.D.: gitpyr.1020
Posted: Wed Nov 13 12:36:49 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 14-Nov-85 07:48:29 EST
References: <1343@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology
Lines: 34

In article <1343@decwrl.UUCP>, fisher@scotty.DEC (Burns Fisher, MRO3-1/E13, DTN 231-4108.) writes:
> 
> ...spot with a fuzzy halo right next to the middle star
> in Orion's sword, and probably dimmer.  I could see the middle star with
> naked eye, but only with binocs could I see that there were really two (and
> the fuzz).

Yes, you saw the famed Orion Nebula, M-42 and the detached portion
M-43.  This is easily visible to the naked eye, even from most urban
environments.  The integrated magnitude of the nebula, four bright
stars(the "trapezium") is around 2.5, though it appears slightly dimmer
due to its size. 

> Are there normally two stars there, or might it be Halley?  I suppose it might
> also be M42?  Damn!  I wish I were more familiar with that area! 
> Has anyone seen it with binocs?

Halley has now passed the Hyades (the "snout" of Taurus containing 
Aldebaran) and is closing in on the Pleiades.  It has long left Orion,
and never, in fact, was within the confines of the body - it was in
the uppermost regions of the outstretched arm.   I have seen it in as
small as a 7 x 30 finderscope, so it is easily visible in binocs.  I
believe it is very close to naked-eye visibility, and I'm quite sure I
could see it now naked-eye under excellent sky conditions.  If you have
a star atlas, you may wish to plot coordinates I gave at the beginning
of the month for the comets to see their motion and relative location.  
I will soon be doing the same for the month of December.

-- 

Don Barry (Chemistry Dept)          CSnet: cmpbsdb%gitpyr.GTNET@gatech.CSNET
Georgia Institute of Technology    BITNET: CMPBSDB @ GITVM1
Atlanta, GA 30332      ARPA: cmpbsdb%gitpyr.GTNET%gatech.CSNET@csnet-relay.ARPA 
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