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Article: <5grlrb$me1@dfw-ixnews9.ix.netcom.com>
From: saquo@ix.netcom.com(Nancy )
Subject: Re: Nancy Now and Then (2)
Date: 20 Mar 1997 15:41:31 GMT
In article: <332E0DAA.6DAC@sc.hp.com> Chris Franks writes:
>> The orbit changes have been illogical and contradictory,
>> and stand UNANSWERED in spite of our insistent
>> questioning on this message board over the past several
>> weeks.
>> ZetaTalk[TM]
>
> On the 25th, the orbit math predicted that the comet would
> be at point X on the 28th, with an error band of 5 units. On
> the 28th, the comet was observed 3 units away from the
> predicted position. WHY? ... Because the ACTUAL
> position was 3 units further away from the PREDICTED
> path of 3 days earlier, you incorrectly concluded that the
> comet jumped away from Jupiter. It did not jump. Its
> actual position, ... was further away from Jupiter than it
> appeared that it was going to be from the viewpoint of 3
> days earlier.
> Chris Franks <cfranks@sc.hp.com>
(Begin ZetaTalk[TM])
Did the angle as viewed from Earth change in 3 days? Was it hidden from view during that
time? JPL stated their Orbital Elements posted on May 28, '96 were as a RESULT OF
OBSERVATIONS up through May 25. This posting, then, incorporated ALL observations,
including any on May 25. It is normal and customary for JPL to actually TAKE an
observation just before recalculating Orbital Elements, also, so we can be assured that this
took place.
This single slip by JPL, wherein they jerked the paper orbit around to help line it up with a real comet in the comet belt during June and July of 1996, is compounded by a SECOND SLIP.
Where such a leap away would have made the ellipse wider, JPL announced that the
eccentricity narrowed! WHY? They based this on observations between May 25 and June
23? Where the RA and Dec placement can be discerned from Earth, the mythical
Hale-Bopp was supposed to be moving AT AN ANGLE to the Earth, and thus the curve
COULD NOT BE DETERMINED with confidence. But they changed the eccentricity!
Please note that we ask "why" NOT because we do not know the answer. This is to
challenge the leadership to actually clear their throat and respond. They won't, as it's not
defensible, as our weeks of hammering on this point demonstrate.
(End ZetaTalk[TM])