Letters to the Editor

The Editor
Canopus

Congratulations to Brian Fraser for his interesting minor planet article. Canopus could do with more local input such as that which we receive from Brian and Eben van Zyl.

Here is a footnote to Brian's list of Johannesburg-related minor planets: How many Canopus readers know that a minor planet was named after a Johannesburg Centre member? Younger members may not know too much about Jack Bennett, discoverer of two comets and a supernova.

Jack was a member of both the Jhb and Pretoria Centres and attended some of our meetings. His discoveries were made with modest equipment in a fairly light polluted environment and were the result of sheer, enlightened perseverance.

On 1986 November 4 the distinguished amateur/professional Rob McNaught of Siding Spring, NSW discovered a minor planet which was provisionally named VD 4093. Rob recommended to the Inter-national Astronomical Union that his discovery be named Bennett.

By the time that Rob telephoned with the good news, Jack was already a paraplegic in a Pretoria nursing home and I am sure that the news did much to lighten the last few months of life of a man who can only be described as having had a sweet nature.

Best wishes

Danie Overbeek.

Hi Chris,

Here's something for you:

Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2000 14:20:52 PST

Subject: Boeing loses space station parts

Two nitrogen and oxygen tanks (worth $750,000) still in their crates (5 feet on a side) for use by space-station astronauts were apparently accidentally sent off to the Huntsville dump after being moved outdoors temporarily to make room inside the Boeing plant.

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20000303/sc/space_station_trash_1.html

Cheers,Chris ( Stewart )

Hmmmmm - somebody accidentally lost ±5 million Rands . . . . . . Just think; at the beginning of last year we could have purchased the Old Observatory site for that same amount . . . . Ed.