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HALE-BOPP: THE ‘COMPANION’ CONTROVERSY ( ye Hale-Bopp is certainly surrounded by controversy. As if being the biggest comet in recent memory weren't enough, Hale-Bopp is thought by some to be accompanied by another object even more portentous. "The companion", as it's being called, is simply a figment of computer glitches and wild imagination, according to all the mainstream astronomers who've so far spoken 'on the record’. Still, rumours abound that other experts, so far unnamed, do affirm the companion's existence. If it's there at all, it might be a second piece of the comet itself—or some other, as yet unidenti- fied, natural object. But some say it's weirder than that: perhaps sentient, perhaps alien, perhaps a spacecraft of planetary size. HALE-BOPP: THE COMPANION" CONTROVERSY tographs from, and talked "for many hours" with, an international- ( ye Hale-Bopp is certainly surrounded by controversy. ly known astronomer who works at a "top-10 university", who As if being the biggest comet in recent memory weren't positively confirms that there is an extraordinary second object enough, Hale-Bopp is thought by some to be accompanied that appears to be a "ship" under intelligent control. by another object even more portentous. "The companion", as it's Dr Brown refused to give the name of the astronomer or the being called, is simply a figment of computer glitches and wild university, stating that this man is currently deliberating his next imagination, according to all the mainstream astronomers who've steps in consultation with his family and professional colleagues. so far spoken 'on the record’. "This is a free-will universe, and this man must make his own Still, rumours abound that other experts, so far unnamed, do decision," Brown stated on the air. Art Bell said that he had in his affirm the companion's existence. If it's there at all, it might bea _ possession copies of the photographs, which are described as of second piece of the comet itself—or some other, as yet unidenti- such high quality that, if they were posted on the Internet, their fied, natural object. But some say it's weirder than that: perhaps origin would be easy to determine. Bell said he does not know sentient, perhaps alien, perhaps a spacecraft of planetary size. the name of the astronomer. Dr Brown also stated that a radio astronomer, a colleague of the other astronomer, had discov- ered evidently intelligent radio signals coming from the Hale- Bopp object. Brown said it should soon be possible to announce the exact frequency on which the signals could be heard, so that others can verify them. Brown stated his belief that the astronomer would call a press conference within one week to announce his findings, but he noted there were bound to be very serious repercus- sions to such a step, and that the astronomer might decide against it, at least for now. Art Bell Radio Show Professor Dr Courtney Brown of Emory University, founder of the Farsight Institute and author of the sensational book Cosmic Voyage, and famed author and professed abductee, Whitley Strieber, went on Art Bell's syn- dicated "Coast to Coast" radio show in the early morning hours of Friday 29 November 1996 to announce that a "top astronomer" associated with a "top-10 univer- sity" now has definite proof that a huge object, thought to be a "ship" of extraterrestrial origin, is trailing Comet Hale-Bopp. Chuck Shramek Over two weeks before, on 10 Whitley Strieber November, Houston-based ama- COMET HALE-BOPP AND ‘COMPANION’? Whitley Strieber appeared teur astronomer Chuck Shramek and later on the same program to imaged something while viewing This image (HBST961110-19) was allegedly taken by assert his conviction that the Hale-Bopp with his 10" tele- the Hubble Space Telescope on 10 November 1996. photos, along with the scope, then went on the Art Bell Like the controversial image taken by Houston-based] astronomer's testimony, did show to describe what appeared | amateur astronomer Chuck Shramek, this photograph | indeed represent evidence of a to be "a large Saturn-like object" | shows an unusually large, bright object in the vicinity] huge, intelligently guided close to Hale-Bopp. This set off | of Comet Hale-Bopp. object travelling with Hale- a firestorm of controversy on the Does this image show a ‘companion’ travelling in Bopp. Strieber spent most of Internet, in which Shramek was the Comet's tail? Remote viewer Courtney Brown and his two hours on the program generally denounced. Crushed Fs Fi talking about his own experi- by the negative publicity, he author Whitley Strieber, among others, say yes. But ences of contact with "the visi- soon left Texas and went into mainstream astronomers, so far without exception, SAY | tors" and how humans might seclusion in another state, where | it's just a distant star distorted by the imaging process respond and adjust to the immi- he reportedly still remains. itself. The controversy continues... nent certainty of extraterrestrial life visiting the Earth. Raveinns Courtney Brown Having heard of Shramek's image, Courtney Brown assigned three Farsight Institute remote viewers to examine the situation out at Hale-Bopp. On the basis of their findings, Brown asserted on Bell's show that there was indeed a huge, second object that was apparently under intelligent control. The ensuing controver- sy, which dismayed Shramek, did nothing to dampen Brown's insistence that the mysterious second object does exist. Appearing again on the Art Bell program the morning of 29 November, Brown went even further. He said that after the first round of viewing sessions nearly two weeks before, he had quiet- ly gone about seeking hard confirmation of his findings among professional astronomers. Now, he said, he has received pho- Confirmation of Comet 'Companion"? If these claims are true, it can't be long before anyone with a reasonably good telescope can confirm that the second object is there. Thus, if it is there, some kind of announcement seems a certainty before long. On the other hand, if it is not there, Courtney Brown and Whitley Strieber, among others, will certainly be denounced. Both they and Art Bell acknowledged that talking about this on the air put them all at risk of grave ridicule, or worse. (Sources: various Internet discussion groups, plus CNI News, vol. 2, no. 18, Part 1, 1 December 1996; e-mail: CNINews1 @aol.com; web: http://www.iscni.com/) NEXUS 55 FEBRUARY - MARCH 1997