European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 1, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Chasing Halley s Comet Down under a photo a group of Amateur astronomers and photographers set out to capture Comet on film As it appears nightly Over Australia. This photo was made by sandwiching two negatives together the Comet which was exposed on a time exposure and figures in foreground taking pictures of the streaking Comet Over Sydney. Tuesday april 1, 1986 by Stewart Slavin United press International f rom aborigines who fear it to Futurist who believe Man May be Able to Hitchhike through the Galaxy on it next time around tens of thousands of people Are plunking Down millions of dollars for front Row seats in Australia to Halley s Comet. Fleets of chartered jets will ferry thousands of japanese Amateur astronomers to Australia s vast starry Outback deserts. The concorde supersonic jetliner will Chase the Comet in 12-mile-High Champagne flights. And luxury cruise ships one with american Futurist Carl Sagan aboard will track the celestial visitor while plying the sea from new zealand to Australia. But while space probes like Giotto have made dramatic discoveries with their close encounters astronomers say the View of the every-76-years event from below May prove disappointing for those expecting a fireball with a spectacular Tail streaking across the sky. It s never going to be spectacular at All said British astronomer Mike Hawkins who helped guide the Giotto probe from siding Springs Mountain Southwest of Sydney. At Best it will look like a Long Dull fuzzy blur that is stationary. And it is getting dimmer All the time As it moves away from the Sun he said. Scientists say the Peak viewing Date will be april 11, when the Comet will come closest to Earth 39 million Miles away. The last time it will be seen with the naked Eye will be april 24 when there will be the added Bonus of a total eclipse of the Moon. The two events occur together every 7,600 years. While the Northern hemp Shere had the Best View of the Comet s 1910 return when it was brighter and closer the Southern hemisphere takes the honors this time around. The Best land views run along the Tropic of Capricorn which runs through Central Australia. Chile Argentina Paraguay and Brazil in South America and Namibia Botswana South Africa and Mozambique in Africa. Many Comet chasers began planning their trips to Australia As Early As 1984 when the  sky and Telescope Magazine reported that the finest Vantage Point of All would be Alice Springs near the exact Center of Australia. The Remote desert town was Given the nod because of its Cloud free skies Low pollution and distance from City lights closer to the Comet s orbit is the Outback Hamlet of Barrow Creek 150 Miles North of Alice Springs. With a population of 11, the town boasts a single tavern a Gas station a Windmill and Little else. We re booked solid in april All seven rooms said barkeeper Lance Pietsch. Anyone else will have to Roll out their sleeping bag on the  also challenging Alice Springs for the Comet Dollar is the Northern territory Gold mining Center of Tennant Creek. Using the motto we re bigger than you think the town of 3,200 plans to hire the local rainmaker chief running Cloud to bring Down the heavens on Alice Springs when the Comet is overhead. Alice Springs is expecting 50,000 visitors in april double its year around population. Nearly All of the town s 1,300 hotel and Motel rooms and 5,000 camper and trailer parking spots have been booked since late last year. Another Choice location is the even More Remote Ayers Rock an aboriginal land seemingly in the Middle of nowhere which boasts the world s largest Monolith among the kangaroos emus and camels wandering the red coloured desert floor. Some 300 Miles Southwest of Alice Springs the Ayers Rock Vicinity features a new Sheraton hotel resort which has set up a $70,000 mini Halley s Observatory with telescopes binoculars a Small theater and astronomers to answer questions. The stars and stripes Page 13