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Credit & Copyright: D. Hanon
Explanation:
Comet Hale-Bopp
continues its slow trek across the night sky, and can now be seen
superposed near the bright globular cluster
M14.
Will Comet Hale-Bopp
become as bright in early 1997 as Comet Hyakutake
did in early 1996? It is still too early to tell. Currently
Hale-Bopp
is curiously holding at about 5th magnitude
- just barely bright
enough to see
without binoculars from a dark location. Because of the size
of coma, some speculate
that the nucleus of Hale-Bopp
is unusually large. The actual nucleus is obscured, however,
and recent speculation
includes that the nucleus is comparable in size to Comet Halley
- about 10-15 km across.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Comet Hale-Bopp
Publications with words: Comet Hale-Bopp
See also: