TABLE OF CONTENTS
Caretaker's Corner 
MIRA's new CCD - 1st Image 
Friends to a Watery Rescue
Friends' Renewal 
Earth Invades Mars 
MIRA - The Wonderful 
MIRA Invited to Kyoto 
An Illustrated Recipe for Gravitational Lenses 
Florence & Ralph Meeker 
The Summer Sky
Thank you to 1996 Friends

Farewell, Hale-Bopp! Comet Hale-Bopp exits our solar system over the Lone Cypress in Pebble Beach. This particular comet will not visit our part of the solar system for another 2000 years. This breathtaking photo was taken by Friend of MIRA Jay Murray on April 23, 1997, with a 28-70mm zoom lens, 30 second exposure, F/4, on hypered Fuji 800 Print Super G Plus.  Lone Cypress® is a registered trademark of Pebble Beach Company. Permission for use granted by Pebble Beach Company. All rights reserved.