Comet Hale-Bopp

 
Comet Hale-Bopp was discovered accidentally by Alan Hale in July of 1995. What makes this comet so unusual is that its  distance at discovery is much further than for the usual comet, indicating that it must be a massive object. With comets, size is everything, so as of this writing in February, 1996, Hale-Bopp is expected to be one of the brightest of the century, reaching nearly magnitude -2, brighter than the brightest star Sirius. The nucleus of the average comet measures only a few miles across while Hale-Bopp could be 50 miles in diameter or more.

Most naked-eye comets are discovered only weeks before visibility, but with Hale-Bopp, it would be nearly 20 months before maximum brightness in April, 1997. By then its tail could be nearly 40 times the width of the full moon. At that time it should be clearly visible in the early morning skies for the Northern Hemisphere.

Photographic Data:

Telescope:            Celestron 14" SCT
Focal Ratio:          f/11
Focal Length:        3910mm
Film Speed:           ISO 1000
Exposure Time:    30 - 70 Sec
Date:                     UTC
Time:                     UTC

Location Data:

Latitude:                 37° 33'
Longitude:              120° 47'

Astronomical Data:

RA:                        4hr 01min
Decl:                      32° 47'
Altitude:                79° 36'
Azmuth:                 246° 08'