comet Hale Bopp close encounter with Earth 1997 its closes approach was in 1 April 1997.
Comet Hale-Bopp (formally designated C/1995 O1) was arguably the most widely observed comet of the twentieth century, and one of the brightest seen for many decades. It was visible to the naked eye for a record 18 months, twice as long as the previous record holder, the Great Comet of 1811.
Hale-Bopp was discovered on July 23, 1995 at a great distance from the Sun, raising expectations that the comet would brighten considerably by the time it passed close to Earth. Although predicting the brightness of comets with any degree of accuracy is very difficult, Hale-Bopp met or exceeded most predictions when it passed perihelion on April 1, 1997. The comet was dubbed the Great Comet of 1997.
The passage of Hale-Bopp was notable also for inciting a degree of comet-related panic not seen for decades. Rumours that an alien spacecraft was following the comet gained remarkable currency, and inspired a mass suicide among followers of the Heaven's Gate cult.
Discovered by: Alan Hale and
Thomas Bopp
Discovery date: July 23, 1995
Alternate designations: The Great Comet of 1997,
C/1995 O1
Orbital characteristics A
Epoch: 2450460.5
Aphelion distance: 370.8 AU
Perihelion distance: 0.914 AU
Semi-major axis: 186 AU
Eccentricity: 0.995086
Orbital period: 2520[2]-2533 yr
Inclination: 89.4°
Last perihelion: April 1, 1997
Next perihelion: ~4385
