Comet Hale–Bopp
Comet Hale–Bopp (formally designated C/1995 O1) is a comet that was one of the most widely observed of the 20th century and one of the brightest seen for many decades.
Comet Hale–Bopp, shortly after passing perihelion in April 1997 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by |
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| Discovery date | July 23, 1995 |
| Designations | |
| Pronunciation | /ˌheɪl ˈbɒp/ |
Alternative designations |
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| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch | 2022-Sep-15 (JD 2459837.5) |
| Observation arc | 29.2 years |
| Orbit type | Long period comet |
| Aphelion | 354 au |
| Perihelion | 0.914 au |
| Semi-major axis | 177 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.99498 |
| Orbital period | (Barycentric 2399 yr) 2364–2520 yr |
| Inclination | 89.3° |
| Last perihelion |
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| Next perihelion | 4385 ± 2.0 AD |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 40–80 km (25–50 mi) |
Mean diameter | 60 km (37 mi) |
Mean radius | 30 km (19 mi) |
| 0.01–0.07 | |
Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp discovered Comet Hale–Bopp separately on July 23, 1995, before it became visible to the naked eye. It is difficult to predict the maximum brightness of new comets with any degree of certainty, but Hale–Bopp exceeded most predictions when it passed perihelion on April 1, 1997, reaching about magnitude −1.8. It was visible to the naked eye for a record 18 months, due to its massive nucleus size. This is twice as long as the Great Comet of 1811, the previous record holder. Accordingly, Hale–Bopp was dubbed the great comet of 1997.
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