Scientists Prepare to View Kohoutek

A team of scientists from Harvard and the Smithsonian Physical Observatory is still anxiously awaiting the ideal visibility of the cosmic nomad named Kohoutek in early January, despite reports from England that the comet is disintegrating.

Brian Marsden, lecturer in Astronomy and director of the Telegraph Bureau of the International Astronomers' Union, yesterday denied the reports. "Spectacular comets often lose bits of their tails," he said. "But this comet will be hale and hearty for a long time."

William A. Deutschman, associate of the Harvard College Observatory and coordinator of Operation Kohoutek for the Smithsonian, said yesterday that the Smithsonian is the "clearing house for all world observations of Kohoutek" and has access to the best and latest information on the comet. "The Smithsonian's data does not show anything like this [the disintegration] happening," Deutschman said.

The primary objective of the Harvard and Smithsonian scientists is to establish whether comets are formed in the "regions of outer planets or from some interstellar process," Fred L. Whipple, professor of Astronomy, said yesterday.

The scientists include Whipple; Arthur E. Lilley, professor of Astronomy; and Harrison E. Radford, associate of the Harvard College Observatory.

Whipple said that by viewing Kohoutek, he hopes to confirm his "dirty snowball" theory, which holds that the comet's nucleus is composed of dust particles imbedded in the ices of simple molecules of water, methane and ammonia.

The best time to view Kohoutek is on January 10, "just as twilight is deepening in the southwest evening sky," Whipple said.

He said that dust pollution and light pollution will make observation of the comet in the city of Boston "futile." Celestial enthusiasts should go to the west of the city to see Kohoutek under optimum conditions, Whipple said.

When Kohoutek is at its brightest, it will pass within 13 miles of the sun and be 75 million miles from the Earth.

Kohoutek is named for its discoverer, Lubes Kohoutek. The Czech astronomer spotted the comet last March, while observing at West Germany's Hamburg Observatory.