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October 2002

• October 31 It was cloudy today. I visited an exhibition at Akatsukikan Hall featuring objects washed ashore. This Akatsukikan Hall is located at the beach in Ohgata-town 90km west of Kochi. Among the exhibited items were a diamond ring in a case, a demon mask, coconuts, and a bottled letter sent by an 11-year-old American boy Brian, which drifted from the east coast of America across the ocean to Irino Beach. When a reply was sent to Brian, he was already 16 years old. Brian's letter in a bottle must have drifted around in the vast expanse of the ocean without knowing where it would reach. Comet Perrine-Mrkos must be traveling in vast space waiting to be discovered. Just like the miracle of Brian's letter being washed ashore at Irino Beach, will the recovery of Comet Perrine-Mrkos be a miracle? I am going out for fishing today, wishing the comet will drift over to a beach at Geisei. • October 17 The waxing moon is in the sky. I spent two hours chasing the glow of Comet Perrine-Mrkos to photograph it with the 12cm telescope for two hours from 3 am to 5 am. The comet is now approaching. Having been wandering for 34 long years in space, it should have drifted a considerable distance from the predicted positions. For tonight's observation I covered ±5 days from the predicted position, which would be the most likely area for recovery. What a stupid mistake I made! I finished a roll of film (10 exposures) with the telescope cap left on! This unfamiliar telescope caused this unpardonable mistake. I realized this when I was exposing the last frame on Comet Wirtanen. By then 99% of my task had been completed and the twilight began. This would be a once-in-10-year blunder. Only at such a time 18D/Perrine-Mrkos would be found. A misfortune brings itself to you anytime. I have resigned to the idea that there will be no discovery without an accumulation of misfortunes. How about Comet Perrine-Mrkos? Was it found somewhere? The 60cm reflector cannot be used for precise measurements. I have to loosen the declination clamp first then hang myself onto the bottom end of the tube. This way I can move the heavy telescope northward using my body weight. During public viewing nights I have to perform this acrobatic trick, although we use only the 20cm refractor (mounted on the 60cm) for viewing by the public.
Tsutomu Seki hanging from the telescope tube!
• October 7 Thinking the weather wouldn't be favorable (as the forecasters said) I had a leisurely sleep. Suddenly waking up at 5.20 am, I looked out the upstairs' eastern window to find Leo hanging over the neighbors' roofs. The sky might have cleared up in a short time of period at twilight. Beta Leo was visible low over the roofs. I can't remember the night when Leo looked so beautiful in Kochi's sky in recent years. Yes, it was that day! I remembered the excitement and emotion at the time of my discovery of Comet Seki (1961f) on the morning of October 11, 40 long years ago. The discovery of Comet Crommelin in Leo is clearly etched in my mind. It was at 5 am on October 6, 1956. I indulged myself in the fond memories of the past years, while gazing at the stars in the twilight sky. • October 3 The moment of truth came. Technicians from Goto Optical Mfg. attempted to repair the 60cm telescope for 3 days from September 29. The cause of the problem seemed to be a spark in the circuit in the console. They removed important parts and took them back to the factory. However, these parts are already 25 years old, and , just like modern expensive cameras becoming unrepairable after 10 years, this telescope is likely not repairable. Unless it is rebuilt from the ground up, it may not be used for precise measurements. In a way this is a good chance for refurbishing this dated telescope, but there is no fund for it. Thus, 372 will be out of action for some time. The observatory will be closed until November 8. But I want to give it a good pat on the back for more than 20 years of its continuing service. "Chirping of insects heard from the aging telescope on this autumn night"

• October 31
It was cloudy today. I visited an exhibition at Akatsukikan Hall featuring objects washed ashore. This Akatsukikan Hall is located at the beach in Ohgata-town 90km west of Kochi. Among the exhibited items were a diamond ring in a case, a demon mask, coconuts, and a bottled letter sent by an 11-year-old American boy Brian, which drifted from the east coast of America across the ocean to Irino Beach. When a reply was sent to Brian, he was already 16 years old. Brian's letter in a bottle must have drifted around in the vast expanse of the ocean without knowing where it would reach.

Comet Perrine-Mrkos must be traveling in vast space waiting to be discovered. Just like the miracle of Brian's letter being washed ashore at Irino Beach, will the recovery of Comet Perrine-Mrkos be a miracle? I am going out for fishing today, wishing the comet will drift over to a beach at Geisei.

• October 17
The waxing moon is in the sky. I spent two hours chasing the glow of Comet Perrine-Mrkos to photograph it with the 12cm telescope for two hours from 3 am to 5 am. The comet is now approaching. Having been wandering for 34 long years in space, it should have drifted a considerable distance from the predicted positions. For tonight's observation I covered ±5 days from the predicted position, which would be the most likely area for recovery.

What a stupid mistake I made! I finished a roll of film (10 exposures) with the telescope cap left on! This unfamiliar telescope caused this unpardonable mistake. I realized this when I was exposing the last frame on Comet Wirtanen. By then 99% of my task had been completed and the twilight began. This would be a once-in-10-year blunder. Only at such a time 18D/Perrine-Mrkos would be found. A misfortune brings itself to you anytime. I have resigned to the idea that there will be no discovery without an accumulation of misfortunes.
How about Comet Perrine-Mrkos? Was it found somewhere?

The 60cm reflector cannot be used for precise measurements. I have to loosen the declination clamp first then hang myself onto the bottom end of the tube. This way I can move the heavy telescope northward using my body weight. During public viewing nights I have to perform this acrobatic trick, although we use only the 20cm refractor (mounted on the 60cm) for viewing by the public.

Tsutomu Seki hanging from the telescope tube!

• October 7
Thinking the weather wouldn't be favorable (as the forecasters said) I had a leisurely sleep. Suddenly waking up at 5.20 am, I looked out the upstairs' eastern window to find Leo hanging over the neighbors' roofs. The sky might have cleared up in a short time of period at twilight. Beta Leo was visible low over the roofs. I can't remember the night when Leo looked so beautiful in Kochi's sky in recent years.

Yes, it was that day! I remembered the excitement and emotion at the time of my discovery of Comet Seki (1961f) on the morning of October 11, 40 long years ago. The discovery of Comet Crommelin in Leo is clearly etched in my mind. It was at 5 am on October 6, 1956. I indulged myself in the fond memories of the past years, while gazing at the stars in the twilight sky.

• October 3
The moment of truth came.
Technicians from Goto Optical Mfg. attempted to repair the 60cm telescope for 3 days from September 29. The cause of the problem seemed to be a spark in the circuit in the console. They removed important parts and took them back to the factory. However, these parts are already 25 years old, and , just like modern expensive cameras becoming unrepairable after 10 years, this telescope is likely not repairable. Unless it is rebuilt from the ground up, it may not be used for precise measurements. In a way this is a good chance for refurbishing this dated telescope, but there is no fund for it. Thus, 372 will be out of action for some time.

The observatory will be closed until November 8. But I want to give it a good pat on the back for more than 20 years of its continuing service.

"Chirping of insects heard from the aging telescope on this autumn night"