Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 15, 1994 TAG: 9407160013
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By MELISSA CURTIS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"The point of impact is going to be on the other side of Jupiter," said Brian Dennison, professor of physics at Virginia Tech. "I would not advise anyone to go out and buy a telescope to see this."
The only way to view the impact, which Dennison said will be like a "million hydrogen bombs going off at once," is by watching on television the broadcast images recorded by two interplanetary space probes.
Dennison said the only sign of the collision that could possibly be viewed from Earth is a brightening of the closest of Jupiter's moons. And that can be seen only through highly technical equipment by a trained eye, not with a telescope "you can run out and buy."
But the Nature Co. reports telescope sales have tripled since June 1, anyway, though Roanoke-area residents do not seem affected by the craze.
"A lot of people will be disappointed," Dennison said.
Cliff Jones, a manager at Best Products Co. Inc. on Hershberger Road, said he has not seen a difference in telescope sales recently - "unless they're going to rush out and buy them today and tomorrow," he said Thursday.
Gordon Ewald, treasurer of Ewald-Clark on Church Avenue in downtown Roanoke, said he is not aware of any increase in telescope sales.
"Anyone who goes out to buy a telescope will have wasted their money only to see this," he said.
The comet, which is broken into 20 fragments, will first hit Jupiter on Saturday at 3:57 p.m. A second impact will occur at 10:54 p.m. Other collisions are expected through July 22.
"I'm telling people it will be very spectacular, if you live on Jupiter," Dennison said.
by CNB