Into ’74 — and back into ’73

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33422, 2 January 1974, Page 13

Into ’74 — and back into ’73

(5.Z. Preu Auoetation —Copynphli

HOUSTON, January 1. Jhe Skylab 3 astronauts moved into 1974 and back into 1973 a total of 16 times as they swept across the international dateline on each spin around the world.

; Celebrating New Year’s [Eve with a full scientific work-load, the trio watched | the comet, Kohoutek, move further away from the Sun and closer to the view of

(people on Earth. I Lieutenant-Coloneh Gerald Carr and William Pogue and; I Dr Edward Gibson are the > (first spacemen to have been I in orbit during two calendar years. ; “So celebrate with every-1 i thing you have on board to (celebrate with," a ground (communicator, Mr Robert i (Crippen, advised them. “We would never be able ito walk home," Colonel Carr replied. ; The astronauts trained j their solar telescopes on Kohoutek several times today i in a bid to gather a precise i i history of the comet for scientists on Earth who are un- • able to see it clearly at present. The comet will move intoview from the Earth over the nexj few days, and should be clear by Saturday, but a !scientist-astronaut, Dr Karli

Henize, says that the full Moon will lighten the sky before January 9, on which day it will not rise for about half an hour after sunrise, providing a dark sky for cometwatchers.

The comet's tail will be 'visible first, immediately after (sunset, because the tail a |- jways points away from the Sun and will now appear tn precede the comet as it speeds back to the f ar (reaches of the solar system. Mission control has instructed the astronaut* to (rise an hour early on the two days this week, f or Earth-resources photographic passes; and, to ease their problem, the trio will go on (daylight-saving time five days before their fellowAmericans. i Thanks to mission control the voice of Brigette Bardot' singing, “Come Back Mv Love," awakened the astronauts at the beginning of ths forty-sixth day of their 84. dav mission. { ‘What a pleasant way te wake up," commented •Colonel Carr.