Page 4/The Battalion/Thursday, June 16, 1983
Scientists focus telescopes
on rare Plutonian eclipses
United Press International
FORT DAVIS — University
of Texas astronomers are pre
paring for a rare series of
eclipses between Pluto and its
moon that could shed light on
the far-flung planet’s composi
tion.
Scientists at UT’s McDonald
Observatory on Mount Locke in
west Texas are not sure exactly
when the eclipses will begin, but
they are expected to occur be
fore 1985.
Once they begin, the eclipses
will continue every 3.2 days for
the next several years. Pluto is
only visible from the Earth six
months out of the year.
Dr. J. Derral Mulholland, a
research scientist, said because
Pluto’s orbit around the sun
takes 248 years, astronomers
must look now or wait another
124 years for the next series of
eclipses.
Pluto’s moon, Charon, was
discovered in 1978 by an astro-
nomist at the U.S. Naval Obser
vatory, and scientists all over the
world have since used it to learn
more about Pluto.
Mulholland said UT astro
nomers are measuring the
brightness of Pluto and making
calculations that will help obser
vers recognize the eclipses when
they begin.
“If there are enough good
eclipse data, and good enough
ideas of Pluto’s brightness, this
will provide a good description
of the size and shapes of both
bodies and the ice markings,” he
said.
Another McDonald scientist,
Dr. Laurence Trafton, said the
eclipses should give researchers
a better idea of the atmosphere
and surface of Pluto, which is 2.8
billion miles from Earth and was
discovered in 1930.
Scientists at the University of
Arizona determined in 1970
that frozen methane gas is a
component of Pluto’s atmos
phere. Trafton said other possi
ble elements of the atmosphere
are argon, neon, nitrogen, car
bon monoxide and oxygen.
“Organic atmospheres such
as Pluto’s are very interesting be
cause they are the best candi
dates for finding life,” he said.
“At one time, the atmosphere of
the earth may have had carbon
materials and methane. Howev
er, Pluto is not very warm
(minus 215 degrees Centig
rade), so that’s a big strike
against it.”
Even with the 82-inch tele
scope at McDonald Observa
tory, Trafton said astronomers
find it difficult to distinguish be
tween Pluto and a star because
of its great distonce from Earth.
The mysterious Pluto is
thought to be about 2,400 miles
in diameter, compared to
Earth’s diameter of about 8,000
miles.
Earlier theories hold that Plu
to is dark and rocky, more
Earth-like than its gas ball neigh
bors Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus
and Neptune.
Trafton said although Pluto is
usually the farthest-out planet in
the solar system, its oval orbit in
1979 brought it inside Nep
tune’s orbit for the first time in
more than 200 years, and it will
remain there for the next 20
years.
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Students get diplomas
after throwing hats
United Press International
VEGA — Graduating seniors
who were denied their diplomas
because they threw their hats in
the air at the end of commence
ment ^Will receive their sheeps
kins after all.
The 22 students, the majority
of the graduating class of Vega
High School, cannot be denied
the diplomas because it would be
a violation of the Texas Open
Records Law, according to the
Texas Education Agency.
Officials of the TEA and the
Vega Independent School Dis
trict during a school board meet
ing Tuesday night told parents
and students of the ruling-
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Clip & mail to: BRAZOSLAND REALTY
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thei.
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Be Rated
Gotcha covered
staff photo by Pttcl
]st Li
mse in
Frances Wardlaw, 12, keeps a close
watch on Krystal Green during
dribbling drills in G. Rollie White.
Both are on campus attending the
Texas A&M Girls Basketball W a >' a,,c
which lasts through FiiW on , aI1<
Wardlaw is from Del Rio «« !n 1 ' l ‘
Green is from Cleveland. ^ OQ
Smoke detectors would
have saved fire victims
[ill a fun n
r ou/ Ph
United Press International
FORT WORTH — The
second deadliest fire in recent
city history killed five people
who probably would have lived
if their motel rooms had been
equipped with smoke detectors,
fire officials say.
Management of the five-
story, 303-unit Ramada Inn east
of downtown Fort Worth was
fined the maximum $200 for a
fire code violation Tuesday for
leaving several rolls of discarded
carpet in the hallway of a recent
ly remodeled wing.
The fast-moving blaze
started in the carpeting after 3
a.m. Tuesday, destroying 87 un
its, injuring 34 people and send
ing some 150 guests fleeing into
a driving thunderstorm.
No cause for the fire had
been determined pending test
results expected on Thursday
from a Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco and Firearms labora
tory in San Francisco. The fire
department said all five people
who died were found at the foot
of their beds or in their bath
rooms, indicating they tried to
flee before being overcome by
smoke.
“We feel had there been
smoke detection equipment
there would not have been the
loss of life,” said Fire Chief Lar
ry McMillan.
The city’s fire ordinance
package, passed in 1979, ex
empted older buildings from
having smoke alarms or sprink
lers.
Deputy Fire Chief Don
Peacock called Tuesday’s blaze
the second worst in recent city
history, surpassed only by an
arson fire at a nightclub that kil
led eight people.
Tarrant County medical ex
aminer’s investigator James
Kirkpatrick identified the dead
as Elisa Speaks, 28, of San Anto
nio; John Nick Moreno, 54, of
Wichita, Kan.; Wesley Loomis,
46, of Enid, Okla.; Ernest Scott
Van Cleave, 26, of Skokie, Ill.,
and Randy Young, 26, of Liber
al, Kan.
Nine people were admitted to
three Fort Worth hospitals in
good condition with smoke in
halation, lacerations, and
broken bones. Twenty-five peo
ple were treated at four hospit
als and released.
Damage was conservatively
estimated at $1 million in Tues
day’s fire, which a guest and a
guard almost managed to ex
tinguish.
“Someone woke us up blow
ing on a car horn outside,” said
jhday. C
[oldie Hav
pybouta
jid iSan F
Richard Crain, 40, oflifeve who
La., a regional manager'Hphonie
oilwell service firm. Cratinaie the
later was treated forsnuB humo
halation, said hejoined»
security guard in tryingT
out the first flames.
“We almost put it on* »»
said. “The flame was all r aroia
down, just a little bit atonHiday. A
Then we ran out of cheflt on su
and within 10 seconds it pi fith yonn
back up again. At thatpoffian, pla
stead of fighting the li pn. Made
started getting people uppixed will
Peacock said the fire tHy. A m
rapidly because escaping vicl movie
created a “chimney”effect|
they broke out windowsill
rooms. He said flammabil^ lra ^^ t/
the rooms’ fresh paint.wW 1
er and synthetic fibercaifiBesday. .
also contributed to the wed by
rapid spread. nadvertan
“When I woke up thettBi some
smoke coming througip Lawre
doors so thick you
breathe, said Shelley Will
a guest from Waco.
Fred Jordan, 30, ofj;
ville, Fla., escaped withot
shoes and slacks.
“I wish I had thoughtto.
over and grab my waif,
said. “I was about tojuiif
they (firefighters) cameif
a ladder.”
he of the
pe story
■aam
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United Press Internatiof*
ANGLETON - Autkj I
have found the bodies f
Sweeny teenagers whodti 1
while fishing in the surf
Gulf of Mexico nearthei
River mouth.
Brazoria County she
puties recovered the I
Henry Edward Hancod
Tuesday. They earlier 1
the body of Hancock’scof
ion, Frank Gordon Oriel
Officials said the tw) 1
fishing in the Gulf o$ ^
mouth of the Brazos Y 1, K
They stood about 50 ■
offshore when an underto'B r
led them into deeper w l ® ^ p
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