On 09 Jan 2007, at 20:56, Chuck Hards wrote:
It's good to be an amateur astronomer and not have to depend on mainstream media for news about things like comets!
Agreed. There are few phones calls that I remember for years but I do remember one I received in the basement of the Hansen Planetarium one March morning in 1976. The guy on the other end of the line proceeded to tell me about a huge comet he'd seen that morning. I had no idea what he was talking about but said I'd check it out the next morning. And I did. The next morning I was up at Little Mountain staring at what I initially thought was the glow of the soon-to-rise Moon. But it was no Moon. It was Comet West rising. Remarkable! And not just the comet but the fact that I heard about it first in a phone call from some guy who happened to see it by accident. No way that could happen in this internet age. pw p.s. Seeing the comet that morning eventually let to my first media interview. So blame it on KSL radio and Comet West the next time you see me in the interview. :)