By the numbers Comet Hale-Bopp is still separated about 27 deg from the Sun, but most of that is in declination, and the comet is quite difficult to pick out in the evening sky. Conjunction with the Sun is just weeks away, and by January 20th Hale-Bopp's elongation from the Sun will be 34 deg and it should be shining at around magnitude 1.5. We can only hope so. So, with these final 1996 positions, given for 0 hours Universal Time, we bid Hale-Bopp a brief "Auf Wiedersehen":
Date R. A. Decl.
-------------------------------
December 22 18h 28.5m +2^ 37'
24 18 31.2 +3 00
26 18 33.9 +3 26
28 18 36.7 +3 51
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