Re: IN SYMPATHY to the Hale-Bopp Cooperative

Article: <5g94rb$djm@dfw-ixnews4.ix.netcom.com>
From: saquo@ix.netcom.com(Nancy )
Subject: Re: IN SYMPATHY to the Hale-Bopp Cooperative
Date: 13 Mar 1997 15:00:59 GMT

In article <5g1lq0$70q@news.bu.edu> Jeremy Hallum writes:
>> Fine, now since you claim that the Orbital Elements are
>> changed as a result of OBSERVATIONS, please tell us
>> what observation caused the eccentricity of the mythical
>> Hale-Bopp to change from
>> 0.995038361 on May 28, '96 to
>> 0.995072729 on June 27, '96, as announced by JPL.
>> saquo@ix.netcom.com
>
> Tell me Nance, what is the errors of the two eccentricites
> you name up there?
> jhallum@bu.edu (Jeremy Hallum)

JPL claims that NEITHER of the eccentricities is in error, that BOTH are the result of observations. The point is that the no one knows what went into the Orbital Elements in the first place, unless they want to sift through 19,000 observations, etc. But this is a unique situation, as JPL said

1. they posted the May 28, 1996 Orbital Elements as a result of OBSERVATIONS through May 23.
2. they posted the June 27, 1996 Orbital Elements as a result of OBSERVATIONS through June 25
3. this leaves any adjustment in the Orbital Elements to be as a result of OBSERVATIONS between May 23 and June 25.
4. the orbit of the mythical Hale-Bopp leap 3 arc minutes AWAY from Jupiter during passage of that giant (sort of a reverse perturbation), which would have broadened its eccentricity, but
5. instead JPL shortened or tightened the eccentricity!

We're just asking JPL to explain the contradictions, and to tell us what OBSERVATIONS occurred between May 23 and June 25 to account for that. Not just one change, or the other change, but why these TWO changes could occur at the same time, thought they are contradictory.