By Paul Valleli in his own words:
[ The “Best” Comets in my generation – the War Babies.]
I started my interest in Astronomy after reading an article in our Weekly Reader in the Second Grade. It was about exploring the solar system, mining asteroids, and spoke of lots of strangely named objects. I had no idea where to look to find these Planets, Asteroids, Star Systems. A school friend and neighbor introduced me to Sky & Telescope Magazine. It was published monthly in Cambridge at Harvard College Observatory. (HCO). That and a paperback handbook about “Stars” hooked me for good. I naturally gravitated to reading lots of SciFi stories which included plenty of good information about space travel, light speed, propulsion systems, social planning, etc.
My first year at Boston Technical High involved college courses, but mixed with lots of fun mechanics in the Woodworking shop, Metal Working, Forging Iron, and working with lathes and other machine tools. The teacher/instructors began pouring on the Mathematics, its application to Science, and solving real world tasks and problems. The Science Club introduced me to other students with similar interests and the challenge of entering Science Fairs. I was a first award winner with my Astronomy and Telescope Making Projects.
My Dad made a call to Sibyl Chubb, Executive Administrator and Secretary at the Observatory. I was hired to work part time after school and during the Summer. What a dream job! The Observatory had a very relaxed atmosphere so that one could ponder the most difficult mysteries of the Universe and consult with post-doc students and the staff of world class Astronomers. I also joined the Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston so that I could make telescopes that were beyond my very limited budget. Very Limited.
In 1957, just before the appearance of Comet Myrkos, I enrolled at Northeastern University starting with the Liberal Arts program but then transferred to the Mechanical Engineering curriculum. I also had joined the Operation Moon watch Cambridge and on October 4th, the Russians showed that Science Fiction could become reality. I took a summer job at the ADJones Optical Works and found myself being asked to do research and experiments on the optical fabrication of Space Optics and Telescope Systems for HCO, NASA, and the Department of Defense.
Several of the local optical companies were challenged to make the best optical systems in the world for Reconnaissance and Space Exploration. I worked on many of the Beryllium Ritchey -Chretien’s for Earth Resources Weather satellites, the 1 meter Orbiting Astronomical Observatories for Goddard Space Center, Viking Mars Scanners, Large Aluminum scanning telescopes for Earth Resources use on the Skylab Space Station alongside a cluster of Solar X-Ray Telescopes made for American Science and Engineering. During the Viet Nam era, we were called upon to fabricate state of the art Nine Element Spy Lenses for use on the SR-71 supersonic, very high altitude aircraft that required reaction jets to control attitude in the vacuum of the upper atmosphere.
The lenses systems each required three aspherical surfaces to eliminate residual spherical aberration over a wide field of view. We designed, built, and performance verified several experimental InfraRed Telescopes and one UltraViolet R-C for use on the Astro Mission for the Space Shuttle.
As soon as we completed work on dual telescope transceivers to be used for Laser Rangefinders for Apollo Flights 15,16, and 17, we then were asked to consider how to fabricate six 20-inch IR Interferometer Telescopes for the Mariner Jupiter Saturn 1979 Grand Tour mission to explore the outer planets.
Just before launch the program was renamed Voyager and VGER 1 and VGER 2 headed for a series of gravitational boosts that propelled them to the Oort Cloud and Interstellar Space.
While my son was active in Boy Scouts we used to go on many of the camping trips in a caravan of several cars. It was a great opportunity to bring a scope along and show the boys the night sky. On the road, we communicated via CB radio to keep anyone from getting lost. Before long, I acquired the handle “Starman”. I think that’s the best description of my lifelong quest.
Ad Astra – Paul Valleli Feb. 2, 2023.
Comets I Remember From The Late 1950’s to 1980, By Paul Valleli
Roger, Mario and all:
There were several comets in the late 1950’s to 1980 that I would challenge as being more spectacular compared to Hale Bopp, Hyakutake and others that have been mentioned in previous emails.
Comet Mrkos was in 1957 and I was 19 years old and making observations for Project Moon Watch at HCO. Comet Ikeya-Seki was a Sun-grazer and after perihelion had a early morning tail at least 60º’s long with the unaided eye! We observed from the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory, at about 550 feet. ASL
Betty Milon got a fantastic shot of Comet West between the trees and made the cover of S&T. This was about 1962. My memory is now showing my age. Dennis Milon, Mike Mattei, and I watched it using the 16-inch B&C Chester Cook Memorial Telescope before it was moved to the Smithsonian. Dennis recorded spiral emissions that showed it was rapidly rotating and saw changes in a one to two hour time period.
I neglected to look at the nucleus at high magnification and did not notice the spiral emission.
Comet Halley in 1966 was a dud for us in North America. A 3rd magnitude in an observation from Cocoa Beach and lots of building lights at Patrick AFB spoiled the view…even in a 20 X 80 binocular.
To me, those three comets easily outdid the current ones mentioned…being Hyautake and Hale-Bopp. Many of us will not live long enough to see Halley again, but a few members of the Springfield Telescope Makers saw both the 1910 and 1986 apparitions.
Paul Valleli (February 2023)
Recent Comments