Copmet Hale-Bopp

[Guest]

I remember observing Comet Hale-Bopp with my 9 inch f 6 newtonian back in the 1990's.I was thrilled to see the spiral patterns.This most have been the dust and gas coming off as the comet rotated.I am hoping that we have a good showing of The newly discovered Ison comet.Does anybody remember observing the comet?Or has anyone got any photographs?

All the best,

Martin.

[Extreme Fencer]

Hi remember having a look with the Binos. That was a long time ago.

From what i remember it was pretty amazing, i am looking forward to seeing Ison with my telescope.

[philhas]

60mm Refractor and 10x50 bins and mk1 eyeballs, from memory it was amazing.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[WaveSoarer]

I remember first seeing it when I was driving home. It shows how bright it was.

[MAN or ASTROMAN]

I was mesmerised by Hale-Bopp! I was just discussing it with a friend yesterday,and I reminded him about the 'Heavens Gate' loopy cult,who's members committed suicide in the belief that they would be somehow be 'beamed up' or re-incarnatated onboard a spaceship hiding BEHIND the comet . His reply was "Prove they weren't" !!!!

[gkec]

I have 35mm slides of Hale Bopp and prints of Hyakutake the year before

these were taken in the road outside my house.

I will try and find the Hale Bopp slides and scan them.

[bejay1957]

I had a couple of opportunities to observe H-B thru a 20" reflector, amazing view of the nucleus

[simonf]

I remember this, i was only ten at the time and i remember looking at it through my first telescope and being amazed by it

[Pete Presland]

i remember seeing it with my children and family, but no photo's of it

[David Smith]

Hyaktake was probably the first comet I ever saw. My photography skills were not up to much at that point but by the time Hale-Bopp came along I managed to capture a few.

[DoctorD]

Hi

It was Hale Bop that really got me interested into astronomy and lead to the purchase of C8 on a manual CG5 mount.

We had a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn a few years later and they kept me busy for a while.

No photos only fantastic memories of. a truly spectacular cosmic event.

Clear skies

Paul

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I made some photographs of the patterns in the core (scan of print of slide, hence poor quality):

and of the whole beastie:

The dust and gas tails are quite clear

[Astralstroll]

I was living i Cornwall at the time, and Hale Bopp was clearly visible to the naked eye. Many as the time when I would take the long way home in order to escape the light pollution and enjoy the spectacle. Only viewed it with 10 x binos apart from the naked eye viewing and it was good to say the least.

Well now time has moved on, I now live in the Bristol area and have a decent sized scope, so I am really looking forward to the likelihood of a really good comet!

Dave.

[Rihard]

I remember observing Comet Hale-Bopp with my 9 inch f 6 newtonian back in the 1990's.I was thrilled to see the spiral patterns.This most have been the dust and gas coming off as the comet rotated.I am hoping that we have a good showing of The newly discovered Ison comet.Does anybody remember observing the comet?Or has anyone got any photographs?

All the best,

Martin.

I was a very small kid (about 10) and I was just starting with astronomy back then but I can't forget the Hale Bopp comet as it was the first one for me! I basically only observed it with unaided eye, as I only had a small toy refractor telescope (without tripod!), and I recall I had been able to catch the comet in the FOV for maybe 2 seconds but as the thing was handheld I don't recall having appreciated any greater detail .

Still it was an amazing beautiful view to the unaided eye, and it sparked so much enthusiasm that I was always talking about it, and soon after I also bought my first newtonian reflector, pity it was too late to observe the comet

According to wikipedia it's still possible to track it down with large telescopes until 2020 at a mag of 30 Meanwhile I'm getting ready for its next approach to the inner solar system: it will be in the year 4385

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I was living i Cornwall at the time, and Hale Bopp was clearly visible to the naked eye. Many as the time when I would take the long way home in order to escape the light pollution and enjoy the spectacle. Only viewed it with 10 x binos apart from the naked eye viewing and it was good to say the least.

Well now time has moved on, I now live in the Bristol area and have a decent sized scope, so I am really looking forward to the likelihood of a really good comet!

Dave.

For a bright comet like Hale-Bopp, or ISON (hopefully), binoculars or a wide-field scope are probably best. I remember Hyakutake's tail stretching for over 24 deg of sky. Naked eye was best. A decent-sized scope is useful for details at the core (if there are any)

[tich]

I remember seeing Hale Bopp in the sky back then it was definitely an awesome sight. I've only had a scope for a year now but fingers crossed the one coming this year will be as impressive. I do have a picture of Hale Bopp although I never took it as I was given it by a friend.

[laser_jock99]

A scan of some slides taken with a 300mm lens & Ektachrome 400 film.

[AstroTux]

The best views I had of Hale-Bopp were from a Boeing 737 'orbiting' Heathrow Airport ( or somewhere near it ).

I was returning from a business trip to Valbonne in Southern France and the aircraft was in a stack waiting to get into Heathrow. The skies at that altitude were beautifully clear and Hale-Bopp must have gone past my window at least 6 or 7 times. I still remember it as the most spectacular 'naked eye' comet I have ever seen and prayed for the aircraft to be stacked until it was nearly out of fuel... :grin:

[stevetynant]

Hale-Bopp remains the only comet I have seen and that was naked eye and bino's - it stayed in the sky for what seems like an age and is still ,Saturn aside,probably the most awe inspiring astronomical wonder I have seen to date but 2013 if everything goes to plan could be really special with Ison in November and Panstarrs in March - how very decent of them both to come knocking in winter skies.

[chiltonstar]

It was so bright you could even see it through clouds.... (scans of old slides).

Chris

[Robstargazer15]

hale bopp graced my skies when i was born, so i didnt get to view it. my parents didnt notice it either, which was a shame. i wish i could've seen it though.

well, comet Lovejoy was nice when it lasted.

[Guest]

I really like the accounts posted.It does not matter if your memories are from using telescopes,binoculars or just your plain ol' eye ball.It's great to share.I think that the pictures are a treasure.I am going to save up to get a DSLR so that I can take wide field images of Ison comet. Hey, TziuRiky I see that you live in Cork.I used to viisit North west of Limerick in the 60's and 70's.It's where my dad came from.I remember the skies being so dark.It's the main reason for my interest in astronomy.

[Guest]

I really like the accounts posted.It does not matter if your memories are from using telescopes,binoculars or just your plain ol' eye ball.It's great to share.I think that the pictures are a treasure.I am going to save up to get a DSLR so that I can take wide field images of Ison comet. Hey, TziuRiky I see that you live in Cork.I used to viisit North west of Limerick in the 60's and 70's.It's where my dad came from.I remember the skies being so dark.It's the main reason for my interest in astronomy.

[Ludd]

I was barely 30 years old when Hale-Bopp appeared, and I was about half way between my first period of being an amateur astronomer (with a 60mm f15 refractor) and the second period that began in about 2003.

It was a real joy, particularly afterthe flop of Halley's last visit, when it was a tiny smudge in Aquarius. Hale-Bopp was a steady feature of the view off our third-floor balcony in light-polluted Forest Hill while I struggled with my evening classes and with two 3 yr old children.

[Guest]

Up until Hale-Bopp I had not seen a comet before.It really inspired me to become a serious back garden astronomer.I have seen several since then,mostly through the telescope or binoculars.I just found it hard to believe that Hale - Bopp was so bright and was there for such a long period.