On July 23rd we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Great Hale-Bopp Comet! Sky and Telescope Magazine, July edition, and Sky At Night Magazine, have insightful write-ups about the discovery and by the discoverers. In 1995 Alan Hale had just completed his PhD in astronomy at New Mexico State, wondering how he would find a job in the field with a young family, and was out observing routine comets. Thomas Bopp, working at a construction factory, went to a friend’s star party, borrowed a hand-made telescope, and made the discovery without ever observing a comet before.
Both contacted the CBAT and the rest is history.
Hale-Bopp, observable without a telescope or binoculars, was the reason I bought my first telescope. What a sight throughout the mid 90’s. I can only hope to see something that spectacular again in the future!
Aldie, VA, Nov 2, 2007
Meade 10″ LX200GPS SCT, Nikon D100 – Prime Focal, ISO 1600 – 30s exposure
However, I did get the opportunity to snap a couple photos of Comet Holmes in 2007. I was observing the comet on Halloween, offering trick-or-treaters a quick view of the comet as they approached for candy. The next couple days I attempted a couple photos. Eventually, I sent one from November 3, 2007 to Sky and Telescope. Comet Holmes did not become as magnificent as Hale-Bopp, but still provided a lot of stargazing fun.
