meeting some discoverers of comets
(and some other highlights)
On my trip to Arizona and New Mexico in 2004 I met some very interesting people and places. Here are some impressions of the most exciting astronomy journey of my life.
At a
meeting of the
German comet group in 2006, I
met the German discoverers F.W. Gerber (October,21 2014) and Sebastian Hönig.
F.W. Gerber co-discovered visually the comets Tomita-Gerber-Honda (1964c) and
Mitchell-Jones-Gerber (1967f).
Sebastian Hönig discovered visually the comet C/2002 O4 (Hoenig).
To meet personally the world famous comet discoverer
David Levy (left) was one of
the highlights of my astronomical life.
David discovered eight comets visually and 13 photographic comets together with
Gene and Carolyn Shoemaker.
In one night I could enjoy a very special stargazing meeting at his backyard
Jarnac Observatory east of Tucson, Arizona.
Everybody who is interested in Astronomy knows the comet
discoverer Dr. Alan Hale (left). He
co-discovered together with but independently from Thomas
Bopp
the comet of the last century:
Hale-Bopp. I had the
pleasure to join a
lecture of Dr. Alan Hale in Cloudcroft, New Mexico.
The Kitt Peak National Observatory with its over 20 telescopes is the largest telescope area of the world.
The
Spacewatch 1.8 Meter telescope.
Joe Montani,
Jim Scotti and
Dr. McMillan are some of the discoveres. This is the
1.8 meter telescope of Spacewatch.
The
Spacewatch team around the
Director Dr. Robert S. McMillan discovered there
some comets.
Dr. McMillan and his 0.9 Meter telescope of the Steward Observatory on Kitt
Peak
In the Institute of Meteorites of the University of New Mexico I had the opportunity to explore a piece of a Mars meteorite under the microscope.
To hold an original Mars meteorite almost in my own hands was a very big event of the journey
The Very Large Array has nothing to do with comets, sorry. But to visit a place of the movie "Contact" ...
... and to follow the
footprints of
Jodie Foster
was really exciting: that was the most exceptionel part of my journey.
This picture with her autograph hangs in the telescope's central control room.
Last but not least the control room of the Very Large Array. This is the original room they used in the movie "Contact".