... Comet Hyakutake's Closest Approach . ... From dark sky areas, it's tail may be seen to cover about 20 degrees on the sky (40 times the apparent diameter of the full moon) corresponding to well over 3 million miles. at the distance of the comet. The word comet, referring to the tail, derives from the Greek "aster kometes", meaning long-haired star - and the hair of comet Hyakutake continues to grow as it nears the Sun! ... Hyakutake: Stars Through A Comet Tail . ... Comet Hyakutake Passes the Sun . ...