Comet Kohoutek
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Comet Kohoutek, formally designated C/1973 E1, 1973 XII, and 1973f, was first sighted on March 7, 1973 by Czech astronomer Luboš Kohoutek. It attained perihelion on December 26 that same year.
Kohoutek is a long period comet, with an orbital period of approximately 75,000 years. Kohoutek was hyped by the media as the "comet of the century" because scientists theorized that Kohoutek was an Oort Cloud Object. As such, it was believed likely that this was the comet's first visit to the inner solar system, which would result in a spectacular display of outgassing. However, Kohoutek's display was considered a let-down, leading some to nickname it "Comet Watergate". Infrared and visual telescopic study have led many scientists to conclude, in retrospect, that Kohoutek is actually a Kuiper belt object, which would account for its apparent rocky makeup and lack of outgassing. [link]
Because Comet Kohoutek fell far short of expectations its name became synonymous with spectacular duds. However, it was fairly bright as comets go and put on a respectable show in the evenings shortly after perihelion.
C/1973 E1 should not be confused with the periodic comet 75D/Kohoutek, which can also be called "Comet Kohoutek" (as could the comets C/1969 O1 and C/1973 D1, also discovered by Luboš Kohoutek as sole discoverer).
Music and art inspired by Comet Kohoutek
- The annual Kohoutek Music and Arts festival at Pitzer College is a free event named after and in honor of the comet held every spring.
- The jazz composer Sun Ra performed the Concert for the Comet Kohoutek in December 1973.
- The first single of German avant-garde music group Kraftwerk, released in December 1973, was called "Kohoutek-Kometenmelodie". On the album Autobahn, which appeared a few months later, the track title was shortened to "Kometenmelodie" (comet melody).
- The first album of Yahowha 13 from 1973 is called Kohoutek.
- Argent's 1974 album Nexus (album) begins with three linked tracks inspired by Kohoutek: "The Coming of Kohoutek"; "Once Around the Sun"; and "Infinite Wanderer".
- The rock band Journey wrote and recorded the instrumental "Kohoutek", which appeared on their self-titled debut album Journey in 1975.
- The rock band R.E.M. named a song "Kohoutek" on their 1985 album Fables of the Reconstruction.
- Bill Carroll released an album in 1994 titled Kohoutek.
- The English techno group 808 State wrote and recorded the instrumental "Kohoutek", which appeared on their 1996 album Don Solaris.
Comet Kohoutek in popular culture
On an episode of The Simpsons, principal Skinner comments that he once missed the chance to name a comet after himself, vowing revenge on "Principal Kohoutek... him and that boy of his!"In the comic strip Gordo by Gus Arriola, the title character occasionally drove a taxi named El Cometa Halley. During the media hype over Comet Kohoutek a rival taxi appeared named Cometa Kohoutek that tended to beat Gordo to his customers.
Doomsday prophecies
In 1973, David Berg, founder of the Children of God, predicted that Comet Kohoutek foretold a colossal doomsday event in the United States in January 1974. Children of God members distributed Berg's messages, which warned of impending doom, across the country. The majority of U.S.-based members then fled in anticipation to existing group communes (or formed new ones) around the world.References
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