Earlier Personal experiences with astronomical events

Daylight Meteorit May 10,  2000 at 17:15 Uhr UT
While playing tennis near Ternitz, Austria I looked inadvertently to the NE sky and saw a very bright white object, moving a few degrees from left to right (east) and then ending in a white small cloud, which was visible for a few minutes. I reported the observation to the Austrian meteorological society "ZAMG". Later reports (in German language) said the meteorit was observed by many people and presumably felt down north east of Vienna in Lower Austria near the border to Slovakia.
 

Total solar eclipse August 11th 1999

Protuberances and innermost corona (c) Hannes Schachtner (Austria) This eclipse was really the highlight in an astronomers life! My home town Ternitz was on the Path of Totality (duration of total phase 2:21 minutes) and through gaps in the clouds the eclipse was well visible. It got quite dark and cool and I made some unprofessional photos with my digital Olympus Z800 camera.

 
 

• The Great Comet of 1997 Hale-Bopp
  
  

  Comet C/1995 Hale-Bopp on April 2, 1997 (c) Gerald Rhemann (Austria) This marvellous comet was visible with the naked eye for a long time in 1997. In  February  I first discovered Hale-Bopp in the morning sky. Later on it moved to the evening sky and was clearly visible with the naked eye. Driving home from work from Vienna on the freeway A2 I spotted the comet every evening when there were no clouds.

  I also remember for searching the internet and downloading many Hale-Bopp images from different locations. The pictures I still have stored on 100 MB Iomega disks, a media which has been obsoleted by CD burning and which I can't read anymore.
  But God thanks there is NASA with an archive of (currently over 5000) images of Hale-Bopp
  

• The Great Comet of 1996 Hyakutake
  
  

  Comet C/1996 B2 Hyakutake Image taken by Gerald Rhemann 1996-03-25 I remember this comet standing very good visible in the evening high up in the northern sky near the polar star. See also the NASA Hyatake Home page.

  
  
  Comet Halley (1986)
  
  

  I tried hard to get a glance of this periodically reappearing comet, but I didn't succeed. I went up many evenings in March/ April 86 on a dark hill behind our house with an opening in the woods to the NW sky spot where Halley was supposed to be and searched the area with binoculars, but in vain. So I have to wait 76 more years for the next opportunity to see Halley once in my life! Further Info on Comet 1/P Halley

  
  

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Last modified 2003-06-01  Rudolf Posch