Western Skies

High clouds lingered in the twilight hugging the western horizon. This didn't worry me too much, though. They seemed of a type that would disappear with the last daylight glow, leaving nothing to obscure my view of the advancing star-filled darkness. I based this partially on my years of weather observing, but mostly on the fact that I was in Arizona's southwestern desert, on the fringe of North America's most cloud-free zone. The unclouded vistas and dark skies of the area in and around Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument first attracted me about 14 years ago while searching for a good spot from which to photograph Halley's Comet. After a few visits, I became equally appreciative of the mild nighttime temperatures and beautiful desert scenery. After the historic comet faded, I was left with a few good images and a favorite place from which to photograph anything the sky had to offer. On this night, it was once again a comet that lured me back. The sky had cleared, and newly discovered Comet Hyakutake was suspended over the cactus-lined horizon to the east. Displaying a bright blue-greentinted coma and long blue ion tail, the comet graciously struck one commanding pose after another as it slowly ascended the sky. Hyakutake was the best comet to pass by in the last 20 years. But as great as Comet Hyakutake was, it still hasn't been determined whether it will remain “the comet of the 90s” or if it will be overshadowed by the approaching Comet HaleBopp. This latest sky offering, the unprecedented second cometary contender in as many years, will be at its best in late March and early April. Questions remain regarding how well Hale-Bopp will perform. Comet brightness and tail development are very unpredictable. I am quite the opposite, knowing exactly where I will be and what I will be doing come spring.

(PRECEDING PANEL, PAGES 28 AND 29) Viewed from south of Ajo, Comet Hyakutake competed in brightness with the star Arcturus, above, when it passed by on the night of March 21, 1996. (LEFT) A moonset and a starry sky highlight Saturn, center, bottom, and a blooming saguaro cactus. (ABOVE) A full moon hangs low in the sky above Natural Arch in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.