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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1980)
Page 12 THE BATTALION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1980 MSC TRAVEL WE’VE NEVER Rudder Auditorium October 4, 1 980 7:45 pm $1.25 An AGGIE Tradition To See It More Than Once! sponsored by MSC TRAVEL TONIGHT aglskS LADY AGS GET IN JAIL FREE (TILL 10 P.M. — WITH AGGIE ID — AFTER 10 $1.00 — ONLY $3.00 GUYS) FOR DRAFT EVERYONE ALL NIGHT LONG (8 TILL MIDNIGHT) GREAT COUNTRY DANCIN’ MUSIC BY ALL YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS POOL — GAMES — NACHOS — POPCORN REALLY BIG SCREEN TV WINE COOLERS — SET UPS BYOB GEORGE BURNS starring in OH. COD! BOOK II A GILBERT CATES FILM SUZANNE PLESHETTE-DAVID BIRNEY-.nt.oouo^ LOUANNE music sr CHARLES FOX sto™ JOSH CREENFELD sc,EENPl £ JOSH CREENFELD and HAL GOLDMAN. FRED S. FOX.SEAMAN JACOBS. MELISSA MILLER PGl PAREHTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED*35* SOME MATERIAL MAT NOT BE SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN P *°0iReCTED BY GILBERT CATES From Warner Bios A Warner Communications Company Technicolor® • moah*.grmR»»#rv«a © OPENS OCTOBER 3RD AT A THEATRE NEAR YOU Comet coming in six years Scientists will use space probes to get closest look e\ United Press International PASADENA, Calif. — It will be another six years before Halley s Comet comes swinging past on one of its rare visits to this part of the solar system, but scientists are already preparing for it. For scientists around the world, it will be the closest look ever at the itinerant ball of ice and dust. The famous comet speeds past Earth once ev ery 76.1 years. The last time around, in 1910, astronomers could do no more than gaze at it through tele scopes. For this visit, as many as four space probes may get a close up look at the comet, according to John C. Beckman, manager of planetary programs at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which controls America’s deep space explorers. Japan and a group of western European nations are planning to launch comet probes. Russia is believed to be planning one and there may be a U. S. mission. Beckman said the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is considering constructing a comet explorer from hardware left over from the Voyager and Galileo missions. Two Voyagers are now en route to Saturn and Galileo will he laun ched in 1984 to probe the atmosphere of Jupiter and study its moons. “The plan is for the Japanese and European group to launch their own missions, although there is a possibility the United States might do it for them, with a more powerful rocket, ” Beckman said. “We also know the Russians are working with the French on a joint mission in 1984, using Soviet rockets to place French balloons in the atmosphere of Venus. We suspect they will drop off the balloons and go on to Halley’s comet. ” The comet is basically a wandering iceball. The nucleus is believed to be ice, dust and frozen gases preserved from the creation of the solar system billions of years ago. Surrounding the nucleus is tbe coma, a layer of gases melted as it approaches the sun. Only about 3 miles across, Halley’s is one of the most specta cular of comets. It’s long tail of dust and ionized particles stretches thousands of miles from the small nucleus. A comet mission can be more difficult than investigating a distant planet. The planets revolve counterclockwise about the sun, so the speed of the Earth provides an extra boost to a object fired on a counterclockwise course. “But Halley’s comet comes through on a clock wise course,” Beckman said, “and we don’t have the power to launch a spacecraft backwards,” be cause the Earth’s speed around the sun would then subtract from the speed of the spacecraft instead of adding to it. But a counterclockwise launch places the spacecraft on a collision course with the “with a head-on encounter speed of 134,i “It’s going to take very precise navigal timing. Our instrumentation, techniqui hardware have been perfected. The Russi the Japanese efforts will be primitive by parison.” He said NASA scientists are lookingfon»' possible development of an ion engine, electricity from photovoltaic cells to ionize cury through an electric field. Suchanengi! to 50 times more efficient than fire and rockets,” could provide enough powerloi probe parallel to a comet in the 1990s, alongside it “like a wingman.” A U. S. probe would have to be launchedt 1985 to intercept the comet, which mab closest approach to Earth in May 1986 And although scientists will get their be? yet, earthbound observers will see one< poorest shows ever put on by the comet, si was recorded by ancient astronomers in 2H (English astronomer Edmund Halley pi name on it in 1682 when he realized thi fireball observed in the sky every 76 years same comet, returning on a predictable! “This coming apparition may be the wo 2,000 years. The comet will be across tbe system, and will be visible only in the mo hours.” AGGIES! Do ik Jcwc Train ride long but comfortable 10% AGGIE DISCOUNT ON ALL MERCHANDISE WITH STUDENT ID (Cash Only Please) We reserve the right to limit use of this privilege. Downtown Bryan (212 N. Main) and Culpepper Plaza Get your Xerox copies ON THE DOUBLE at Northgate, above Farmer's Market Inexpensive, High-Quality Copies On Our Xerox 9400 FREE COLLATING in most cases. We specialize in REPORTS and DISSERTATIONS. Also: Self-service copying, typing, binding, resume writing, editing, translating. ONE STOP service for reports and dissertations. ON THE DOUBLE V 331 University 846-3755 Open M-F, 7 a.m.-lO p.m. Sat., 9-6 % United Press International BROKEN HILL, Australia —The transcontinental Indian-Pacific link ing Perth to Sydney rarely runs on time, but its pampered passengers seldom complain. “Who cares what time we arrive? If you’re in a hurry, fly, ” said James Christie of San Lorenzo, Calif., a passenger on the sleek, stainless steel Indian-Pacific — named for the two oceans it connects. “Sixty-six hours is a long time to keep people cooped up in a train, and we try to do everything possible to keep them contented and happy, ” explained Wally Kolasa, a Berlin- born conductor who has been with Australia’s railways for 15 years. “Everything” includes just about all the amenities of the 1930 pedig reed American trains plus a piano. Probably no other train in the world offers deluxe suites with full-sized double beds on each run — for a surcharge of $78 on two first class fares of $343 each (U.S., not higher valued Australian dollars). Even the morning papers are flown into Broken Hill from Ade laide, 350 miles away, for free distri bution to passengers. With the exception of the 5,698- mile Trans-Siberian, the Indian- Pacific is the longest railroad in the world — 2,475 miles. That is 85 miles more than the route of the San Francisco Zepher from Chicago to Oakland, Calif., the longest U.S. train ride, though one can take the same sleeping car 4,410 miles from New York to Los Angeles with a change of trains in New Orleans. It’s another scene altogether aboard the India-Pacific as it cuts through Australia’s barren outback, where only kangaroos and dingos play. In crossing the 422-mile-wide limestone Nullarbor Plain, its tracks deviate not an inch for 298 miles, the longest stretch of straight rail in the world. The Indian-Pacific holds another record that nobody brags about. It took longer to build than any other transcontinental railroad in the world. Work started in 1855 and the first through train went into service 115 years later, in 1970. 0 he The delays were caused bl suspicious individualism of til stralians. Every state built it!l roads at a different gauge fral neighbors. Up until 20 yeanT was impossible to travel byl from any one Australian state A, i to another without changingtfiCOL It was not until 1970 that the tenersti was standarized between Pert Pg up t Sydney. K sue! The history hooks blame ap Patter, sive Irishman for most ofthePatter. lems. When railroad constrmOr: began in 1850, all the states s^der rr on the British standard gaugePOesn’t feet 8V4 inches. But the uniderMSuch Irish engineer persuaded theW*d eldt South Wales authorities toadorjigned t Irish standard of 5 feet 3 inches Pderall South Wales told its neighbonfderly. change of plans and they cluBblic : their gauges. But then NewSBPUt li Wales had a change of heart®) The tl verted back to the English gaii^c real neighbors had already started l r? n >s oi ing their lines of the wider gaugl* e dicai stayed with it. Ohio i The first 98 miles out of S — and across 3,550-foot MountV®erly - Pass are electrified to the coal nwCordin town of Lithgow. For the rest p in g, 1 2,315 miles, the Indian-Par en nsyl hauled by diesels. pwatcl The Sydney-Perth fare of IF on i first class and $263 economy iaWThe rt all meals as well as early momir»j on s tl afternoon tea, stateroom deli* u se There is also a lounge car®| ram cafeteria-club car. Each firstfeThe C coach has a shower and each rodt drum te its own toilet. )ff ( firing A special shopping centero complete with a bank, store,!)# shop and grocery makes pel runs to serve the maintenand construction crews when wt being done on the remote seett the roadbed deep in the out There is no other contact wit world. The Indian-Pacific’s time speed is about 38 miles an Public Transport Commii spokesman said it would be fa the route were double-trackei “We could cut the time,” If “but I honestly doubt if we make the trip more comfortat Wear your favorite beer for only $3 §2. c Now you can wear your beer without spilling a drop on yourself. Just slip into one of our "Good Taste of Beer” T-Shirts. They look terrific on guys or girls. They're perfect for wearing around campus or to Happy Hour. But we only have a limited supply so send for yours today. The Good Taste of Beer. Buy it in Bottles. I I I I ■ I I I ■ ■ ■ Please send me "Good Taste of Beer" T-Shirt(s). I have enclosed $3.50 for each shirt. Plus a 250 handling charge. Sizes: Small. Medium. Large, Extra Large Colors: Red. Navy, Black. Orange. Green, Gold. Maroon, White Quantity Color Size Total Enclosed $ Name Address City . State Zip Please mail coupon with check or money order to OWENS-ILLINOIS T-SHIRT OFFER P O Box 2480 Toledo. Ohio 43606 Otter void where prohibited by law Allow 6 weeks delivery Otter valid while supply lasts OIJ OWENS-ILLINOIS ■ I Allow b weeks delivery Utter valid while supply lasts Glass Container [■ 'Owens-Illinois. Inc 1979 Division H