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