Halley's Comet Viewers Thwarted

Students hoping for a prime view of Halley's comet this fall may have seen their hopes dashed Friday, when the mechanical dome protecting Harvard's Michaels telescope malfunctioned and put the instrument out of commission for at least a week.

The dome, which opens and closes mechanically to protect the large telescope in the roof of the Science Center, apparently short-circuited while a group of students were preparing to see the comet. The comet, which was highly visible last week, will not be as easily observed until it moves into prime position next spring.

Faculty telescope director David W. Latham, lecturer on astronomy, speculated that a "pilot error" caused the short circuit, which exposed the observatory to two hours of rain. The water caused no damage to the telescope or to the dome, which was closed manually early Saturday, said study telescope director Windsor A. Morgan '86.

The roughly 15 students present when the dome's driving mechanism stuck were members of Science B-16, "The History of Earth and of Life." The course's leader, Agassiz Professor of Zoology Stephen J. Gould, had obtained special permission for his students to use the telescope to view Halley's comet last week.

Repairs to the mechanism that opens and closes the dome will not be completed until early next week.

Supervisors specially trained in telescope use were to have been on duty Tuesday through Saturday nights, weather permitting, Morgan said. The night of the accident, however, was too cloudy for clear observation, and the scheduled supervisor did not arrive, he added.

Students are not generally allowed up to the dome unless they are accompanied by a director or have attended a preliminary training session. Friday's guard, however, apparently gave the keys to the telescope room to a group of 10 to 15 students.