Sights on comet crash
STARGAZERS with a standard $3,000 telescope pointed out of their flat windows should be able to see effects of a huge comet crash into Jupiter in July.
But the Space Museum's assistant curator, Wong Yiu-wah, says it is unlikely to be viewed as the traditional omen of a statesman's death because it is so far from the Earth.
Although the mindboggling series of explosions - the equivalent of millions of Hiroshima bombs - will happen on the hidden side of the planet, the rotation will bring the site into view within half-an-hour, says Wong Hin-fan, president of the 300-member Sky Observers' Association.
His members are already gearing up for what he described as ''perhaps a once in a century happening'' by taking photographs and making drawings of the cloud formations around the planet to see how they vary as the event approaches.
The first of the comet's 21 nuclei will thud into Jupiter in the early morning of July 17, Hong Kong time.
Weather permitting, amateur astronomers in the territory should be able to spot the cloud changes.
But even those with no experience of stargazing should be able to see clearly the brightening of Jupiter's four satellites as they reflect the enormous blast.
The nuclei will continue to crash into the gaseous ball until July 23 at different times of day and night.
Binoculars would not be enough to see the effects, said Mr Wong Hin-fan, but a $2,000-to-$3,000 50-times magnification telescope from a standard camera shop would do.
The association would be putting its biggest telescopes on the roof of its Cheung Sha Wan headquarters for members to use, and might consider a public viewing.
The Space Museum would consider a public viewing, but the weather had to be good as it had only small telescopes, said assistant curator Mr Wong. But he would be looking out for the event on his own telescope.
The museum would run a Planetarium ''Sky Show'' on comets and meteor showers from June 8 to the end of October, and a special lecture in Cantonese on the phenomenon on July 16, he said.
