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Comet Halley? She flew away, but promised to return ...

So, year 1985. A comet flies to us. I am a graduate student in the astronomy department of one of the universities. Themes of theses have already been approved. I have the “Spectrum of Halley's Comet” (lucky!), But even this is not the main thing - there is an opportunity to fly to Uzbekistan to Maydanak and bring this spectrum from there!

For those who, for whatever reason, I hope, for good reason, forgot or did not find the year 1985: there is a fair amount of noise in the press about the comet. And there are good reasons for that - it is painfully famous:


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- Visited our neighborhood many times and could not be unnoticed. Looked spectacular in other visits. In 1910, she looked not only spectacular, but at the same time, on May 18, the Earth passed through the tail of a comet. Considering that by that time cyan was discovered in the tail - Conan Doyle simply could not write “The Poisoned Belt”. In the same year, by the way, on the same day (which, generally speaking, it is not accidental, as you understand) the comet passed over the solar disk, which allowed determining the lower limit of its size (about 20 kilometers) and it turned out to be close to its true value. If true is understood as measured directly 76 years later, during the next visit.

- past visits are recorded in the depths of the centuries in various documentary sources (historical chronicles) and reliably identified up to certain time limits - it was she who received the name Halley afterwards. The first reliable observation of the comet dates back to 240 BC. e. and described in the Chinese chronicles "Shi Ji".

In this year (240 BC.), The paniculate star first appeared eastward; then it was visible to the north. From May 24 to June 23, she was visible in the western direction ... The paniculate star was again visible in the western direction for 16 days.


- this time an armada (Soviet Vega, European Giotto, several more) of spacecraft is sent to it and we, if nothing prevents, will see it close (supposedly, we should see a dirty ice floe).
(A little running ahead: in 1986 we saw this. This snapshot was taken by the apparatus of one of the listed missions)



- the first comet regarding which the clarity has come: it is a member of the Solar system with a closed orbit, that is, it is periodic. Orbit and period are determined by Halley with the help of Newton. Subsequently, the next time it appears in the vicinity of the Sun, everything is confirmed, but Halley did not live to see his triumph. It was rediscovered by amateur astronomer Palic in 1758. Halley died in 1742. But the name Halley the comet wears is quite deserved.

Well, forward to Maydanak. Naturally, I'm not going there myself. Several professional astronomers are going to observe. Well, I kind of like with them. Already in Uzbekistan I meet with them in Kitab - I flew to Uzbekistan a day earlier.

And here is the mountain. And next one more. There neighbors in uniform with laser rangefinders, but about them a bit later.

The telescope on which we will work with the CCD matrix. Hmm, maybe for those times it can be called “advanced”. But trees and cars are still big, so the spectrum is dropped on punched tape. My first disappointment is a look in the guide. Fi and-and-and, is this really her ?! Well, not at all impressive: a little dull spot. And where is the tail, eh? (already in November 1985, but in the guide, the tail is almost not visible) Y-yes ...
(Well, something like this looked like)



A week on the mountain flies by quickly. Home soon. Last morning I collect little things, I throw ribbons with spectra in my backpack. It is not possible to get lost - as in the palm of your hand, the road to the next hill and the hill itself as in the palm of your hand. Well, something like this:
image kik-sssr.narod.ru/21_Maidanak/i0120rp.jpg

In the photo - two towers - these are the very laser range finders.

Stomp decently, more than an hour. Well, let's see how the neighbors are doing well, colleagues in some way (only space is “military”). On the hill a couple of towers with laser rangefinders. Farm buildings, barracks, sort of. Helipad (a helicopter in the morning and evening brings and takes away those who do not spend the night on the mountain, but fly here to work). Several soldiers idly loiter around the platform. My appearance does not cause anyone the slightest interest (and the object is regime and terribly secret), which is natural - everyone, I suppose, has long been accustomed to colleagues from the next hill. A pinwheel arrives, dropping into it. In the helicopter a couple more people. We take off. In 30 minutes we will be on the “big land”. They slip a flight sheet, I sign up there. Under the screw monotonous landscape.
Yes, so a few words about the military Maydanaka as promised. In case "some civilians" are not up to date.
There were persistent rumors that during the next flight of the Challenger over Maidanak, our fighters slashed with a laser - but straight through the glass of the cabin where the imperialist adversary was sitting (the crew of the shuttle). And they caused the adversary a temporary health disorder. On the web you can find echoes of those events.

Back in 1984, the Space Shuttle Challenger has been developed. The laser “caused malfunctions on the Space Shuttle and distress to the crew,” according to Jane's Intelligence Review.


In 1984, the Soviets directed the laser to the Challenger space shuttle, considering it to be an orbital reconnaissance satellite. As reported in the Jane's Intelligence Review, the laser “caused problems with the space shuttle and the crew’s indisposition.”


Unfortunately, the Challenger dies in January 1986. This terrible tragedy touched the edge with a comet: for March 1986, the launch of Challenger was scheduled with the launch of the ASTRO-1 comet into orbit.

I do not know how it is now on that “military” Maydanaka. (in 1993, almost all Russian military were not tempted by the proposal of the Minister of Defense of Uzbekistan to join the armed forces of this country and were taken to Russia) and how popular and current laser ranging (if you google, then in life already used range finders, but phase, but not pulsed). Well, whoever served on the mountain there is naturally nostalgic with terrible force. What is called “fighters remember the past days ...”. They do this on the forum maidanak.ru

Two times a year, when the Earth passes through comets of motes and ice floes scattered and sprawling in orbit, Earthlings observe Orionids and Aquarids meteor showers. Now I’ve said something super pretentious (please fasten your seat belts!): Perhaps this is a salute of a comet in honor of those who, unlike pigs, sometimes raise their eyes to the sky. But not only it salutes — it pours out a little of the antediluvian (well, very ancient, because the primary building material presumably there was preserved the origin of our planetary system) dust on their heads - after all, dust from meteor showers, as I understand it, sooner or later accumulates on the sinful earth .

You can read about the meteor shower here: http://astro-bratsk.ru/events/421-orionids-shower-2013.html

And this is a simple illustration:


Here the author, in order to absolve himself of all responsibility for the success of the observations of the meteor shower, has to officially declare:
- the maximum flow of October 21, but the full moon today, October 18, 2013 - not very successful
- the flow is not very active in itself: it is too painful the comet is old and the orbits of the Earth and the comet almost do not intersect

Yes, and what about the comet, the meticulous reader will ask. And he will be right. But the answer is simple.
Well, you already understand, right? She flew away, but promised to return ...

Yes, I almost forgot ...
About the pleasant duty to thank.
I want to thank SamkiKogo - he invited me to Habr.
I also want to thank SamNeZnayuKogo - these good Samaritans raised my status on Habré to such an extent that I could publish this meterial.
Those who are filled with the theme and feel that the comet has become almost like a comet to him - do not be lazy with the Russian-language Wiki to read a detailed article.

Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/197470/


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