The comet was discovered by two independent observers, Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp, both in the United States
Comet Hale-Bopp with Palm Trees,
Kaanapali, Hawaii, USA
Karl Lehmann
64 x 48 inches
64 x 48 inches
Photographic Print
$199.99
As the comet receded it continued to fade, but it is still being tracked by astronomers. As of January 2005, the comet is further from the Sun than Uranus, at a distance from Earth of about 21 AU, but is still observable with large telescopes. Recent observations have found that it still displays a distinct tail.
Astronomers expect that the comet will remain observable with large telescopes until perhaps 2020, by which time it will be nearing 30th magnitude. By this time it will become very difficult to distinguish the comet from the large numbers of distant galaxies of similar brightness. It will return around the year 4377.
For almost everyone who saw it, Hale-Bopp was simply a beautiful and spectacular sight in the evening skies. Its lengthy period of visibility and extensive coverage in the media meant that the comet was probably the most-observed comet in history, making a far greater impact on the general public than the return of Halley's Comet in 1986 did, and certainly being seen by a greater number of people than witnessed any of Halley's previous appearances. It was a record-breaking comet — discovered the furthest from the Sun, with the largest cometary nucleus known, and it was visible to the naked eye for twice as long,18 months, as the previous record-holder,Great Comet of 1811. It was also brighter than magnitude 0 for eight weeks, longer than any other comet in the past thousand years.
