Word: cometted
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...Marsden arrived on the scene as a person interested in comets," Gingerich recalls. "At the time, there was a bright comet which caused an enormous stir, and he was on deck to help out. At that time I felt it was reasonable for him to take over." Gingerich remained on hand as an associate director...
Since the end of Gingerich's tenure as Bureau chief, it has changed considerably, he says, primarily as a result of advances in the field of astrophysics. In the 1960s, for example, the reports of comet sightings and planet locations dominated the information released, but today such information is commonly supplemented by reports of newer phenomena such as pulsars...
Marsden, a native of Cambridge. England is also recognized as an expert in comet studies. In the early 1950's he concentrated on mathematical astrophysics such as calculating comets' orbits around the sun. He became the first person to calculate new orbits with a high speed computer...
...most common error is reporting a comet cited near a planet which is usually just a "ghost image" of the bright object, he explains...
...another case, an amateur astronomer in Ohio reported sighting a comet on New Years Eve, and went as far as to notify the press about it. Maraden, unable to locate the comet in the sky, reported that the comet remianed unconfirmed. A short while later a telegram came in staling that astronomers in Japan confirmed the citing. Although the telegram was signed "Tokyo Observatory" Marsden checked the routing on the envelope which showed that the telegram came from Ohio...