March 17, 1997

Lick Observatory plans no public programs for Comet Hale-Bopp; road restrictions in effect March 21-April 10

By Robert Irion

Public officials and law enforcement agencies plan to forbid parking on roads leading to Lick Observatory and other backcountry roads in Santa Clara County for three weeks beginning Friday, March 21, to help prevent hazardous traffic situations from developing during the peak period for viewing Comet Hale-Bopp.

Astronomers at Lick Observatory, which is operated by UCSC, regret that there are no public facilities available to view the comet from atop Mount Hamilton. The narrow and winding Mt. Hamilton Road (State Highway 130) becomes a safety hazard if many spectators attempt to drive to the summit at the same time. Nighttime traffic jams have occurred on this road during other astronomical events, jeopardizing access for emergency vehicles and endangering pedestrians who have abandoned their cars.

The California Highway Patrol, in cooperation with Lick Observatory, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department, Caltrans, and other agencies, will restrict parking along Mt. Hamilton Road, upper Quimby Road, Calaveras Road, Felter Road, Sierra Road, and other county roads as necessary to prevent hazards. Parking bans will be in force from 6 p.m. to midnight starting on March 21 and running through April 10.

Law enforcement officials will tow vehicles blocking traffic lanes or left unattended on roadsides. If too many comet-watchers attempt to drive to the observatory, authorities may close Mt. Hamilton Road at Grant County Park. If roads are closed, officers will provide handouts explaining the restrictions and directing people to other sites in the Bay Area where public-viewing events for the comet are planned.

Grant County Park will not be open after sunset on most nights during this period. However, the Halls Valley Astronomical Group will host public comet-watching sessions at Grant County Park on two nights: Saturday, March 29, and Saturday, April 5. Visitors should arrive before sunset on those dates; there will be a $3 entrance fee per vehicle.

Comet Hale-Bopp, expected to become one of the brightest comets this century, should be easily visible to the naked eye and with binoculars for several weeks. At its brightest, it may outshine any star in the sky. It already is visible low in the northwest after sunset; it gradually will rise higher and become brighter toward the end of the month and in early April.

Viewers will not need a telescope to see the comet, astronomers expect. Indeed, the best tools for skygazers will be their own eyes, a pair of binoculars, and the patience to view the comet from a dark site. It even may be visible near city lights, but bright skies will wash out most details in the comet's tail.

Although Lick Observatory will have no public programs for viewing Comet Hale-Bopp, astronomers will conduct some scientific observations. Professor Hyron Spinrad of UC Berkeley plans to observe the comet with a small telescope next to the observatory's main research instrument, the 120-inch Shane Telescope. Light gathered by the small telescope will feed into the Hamilton Spectrograph, a sophisticated instrument beneath the Shane Telescope that recently played a key role in discovering new planets outside of our solar system.

Spinrad will study gas flowing out of the comet as it nears the sun. He will focus on charged particles of water that speed away from the comet's nucleus as the sun heats it. The overall goal is to determine how the sun's "solar wind" affects the region near the comet's core.

Lick Observatory is an astronomical research facility operated by the University of California Observatories. Its administrative headquarters are on the UCSC campus. The observatory's visitors center is open to the public from 12:30 to 5 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. For information, call (408) 274-5061.

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