Comet Hale-Bopp 1

(This column was published on Monday, February 17, 1997.)

   The weather gods owe us some cloudless skies.

   Morning after morning for two weeks I arose before 6:00 a.m. to try to see 
Comet Hale-Bopp only to be disappointed by thick clouds. Finally, however, a 
morning came when the skies were clear.

   At night our suburban neighborhood is typically illuminated. Not only do we 
have streetlights but several of those bright yard-lighting sodium bulbs burn 
incessantly. We seem to live in fear of the dark. Nowadays you have to travel 
well out into the countryside to find an environment reasonably free of 
artificial light.

   I thought I probably would have to do just that in order to see this comet, 
but I would give it a try here first. From my front lawn I looked up to the 
east and, much to my surprise, immediately saw the comet above the treetops. 
Ambient light would not blot out this object.

   It is obviously not a star. Although it is bright, it doesn't have that 
diamond-like sparkle. To the naked eye it appears out of focus. Even in my 
binoculars it retained this appearance but I could also see the beginnings of 
a tail. Needless to say, I was excited.

   The comet is already brighter than the North Star and any star in either of 
the dippers and its brightness is increasing as it approaches Earth. By the 
time in late March when it is closest to our planet it should be a spectacular 
object.

   Comet Hale-Bopp is well worth observing now and the first time we have 
suitable weather I urge you to spend a few moments finding it just before 
dawn. Since the sun still doesn't rise until after 7:00 a.m., that should not 
be too punishing a task. It should be visible until as late as 6:30.

   Here is how to locate it. Face due east. About two-thirds of the distance 
from the horizon to directly overhead you will see a bright star -- Vega. 
Comet Hale-Bopp should appear directly below it about half way back down 
toward the horizon.

   Over the next few weeks the comet will be moving farther to the northeast 
and after March 1 retreating toward the horizon. But by mid-March we will be 
able to see it in the early evening skies to the northwest.

   Why all the hullabaloo? Will this comet be more spectacular than last 
year's Comet Huyakutaki? Will it give us the kind of show that Halley's Comet 
provided in 1910 -- and failed to provide when it returned in 1986?

   Perhaps.

   In his paperback book, ""Everybody's Comet: A Layman's Guide to Comet Hale-
Bopp'' (which I highly recommend) co-discoverer Alan Hale predicts that Comet 
Hale-Bopp could be more spectacular than Comet Huyakutaki, which he calls the 
Great Comet of 1996.

   Why can't he be certain? It seems that many factors must be taken into 
account and some of them can only be evaluated at the last minute.

   Hale-Bopp should be a thousand times brighter than the Halley's fizzle of 
1986. Early measures of its increasing brightness as it approaches the solar 
system make it comparable to the Great Comet of 1811 mentioned in Tolstoi's 
""War and Peace.'' But even though Comet Hale-Bopp is intrinsically much 
larger and brighter than Comet Huyakutaki, it won't approach as close to us 
and it will be lower in the sky than Huyakutaki was.

   Clearly, astronomers are hedging their bets.

   So we'll just have to wait and see. Meanwhile, do get out and observe this 
latest visitor from deep space.