Comet Hale-Bopp Timeline - 1997

Alan Hale was gracious enough in granting permission to use this timeline on this home page. The timeline is from Alan Hale's book: "Everybody's Comet - A Layman's Guide to Comet Hale-Bopp".

Ron Baalke

February 1997

• February - Comet Hale-Bopp is easibly visible to the naked eye (hopefully!)
• Feb 04-20 - Best times for viewing the comet.
• Feb 07 - New Moon
• Feb 15-Mar 01 - Highest above northeastern horizon before dawn (moonlight will interfere during latter protino of this).
• Feb 22 - Full Moon
• Feb 24 - Comet Hale-Bopp Lecture, Los Angeles, California

March 1997

• March - Hale-Bopp spectacular to the naked eye in the pre-dawn sky?
• Mar 03 - Beginning of International Comet Hale-Bopp Days, period 3
• Mar 04 - Comet Hale-Bopp directly "above" the Sun, 1.04 AU from it.
• Mar 06-21 - Best times for viewing in the morning sky.
• Mar 09 - New Moon; total solar eclipse visible from Mongolia and Siberia (the comet should be easily visible during totality).
• Mar 09 - Comet is 1.0 AU from the Sun.
• Mar 20 - Comet Hale-Bopp Lecture, Pasadena, California
• Mar 20-30 - Comet visible all night from north of latitude 45 degrees; for rest of northern hemisphere, the comet is visible both in the evening and morning skies.
• Mar 22 - Closest approach to the Earth (1.315 AU)
• Mar 22 - Conjunction with the Sun
• Mar 23 - Comet Hale-Bopp Lecture, Altadena, California
• Mar 23 - Full Moon; partial lunar eclipse (midpoint 9:40 PM MST)
• Mar 25 - Comet at is most northern point in its path across the sky.
• Mar 25 - Comet Hale-Bopp is located 5 degrees north of Andromeda Galaxy.
• Mar 26-Apr 10 - Best times for viewing in the evening sky; spectacular to the naked eye (hopefully!).

April 1997

• Mar 26-Apr 10 - Best times for viewing in the evening sky; spectacular to the naked eye (hopefully!).
• Apr 01 - Comet at Perihelion, 0.914 AU from the Sun.
• Apr 07 - New Moon
• Apr 10 - Near highest point above horizon in the evening sky.
• Apr 11 - Comet Chasers Night, Pasadena, California
• Apr 12 - End of International Comet Hale-Bopp Days, period 3
• Apr 22 - Full Moon
• Apr 24 - Comet is 1.0 AU from the Sun
• Apr 25-May 10 - Best times for viewing (last good views from most of the northern hemisphere).

May 1997

• Apr 25-May 10 - Best times for viewing (last good views from most of the northern hemisphere).
• May 06 - Comet Hale-Bopp crosses plane of Earth's orbit from north to south, 1.11 AU from the Sun.
• May 06 - Comet Hale-Bopp located 10 degrees northeast of Hyades star cluster in Taurus.
• May 20-31 - Last sightings from mid-northern latitudes.
• May 24-Jun 09 - Best times for viewing; easily visible from southern hemisphere, and possibly still quite spectacular.

June 1997

• May 24-Jun 09 - Best times for viewing; easily visible from southern hemisphere, and possibly still quite spectacular.
• Jun 05 - New Moon
• Jun 05 - Comet Hale-Bopp located 2 degrees northeast of bright star Betelgeuse in Orion
• Jun 10 - Comet sets at sunset from mid-northern latitudes.
• Jun 10 - Comet is 1.5 AU from the Sun.
• Jun 15 - Comet Hale-Bopp located 3.5 degrees west of Encke's Comet; the latter object should be visible in front of Hale-Bopp's tail around this date.
• Jun 20 - Full Moon
• Jun 23-Jul 02 - Best times for viewing (southern hemispheres only; Comet visible low in northwest during and after dusk).

July 1997

• Jun 23-Jul 02 - Best times for viewing (southern hemispheres only; Comet visible low in northwest during and after dusk).
• Jul 03 - Conjuction with the Sun.
• Jul 04 - New Moon
• Jul 04-18 - Best times for viewing (southern hemispheres only; Comet visible in the east during and before dawn); still bright to the naked eye?
• Jul 20 - Comet is 2.0 AU from the Sun.
• Jul 20 - Full Moon
• Jul 24 - Comet Hale-Bopp located 9 degrees northeast of bright star Sirius.

August 1997

• Aug 01-16 - Best times for viewing (southern hemisphere only).
• Aug 03 - New Moon
• Aug 18 - Full Moon
• Aug 26 - Beginning of International Comet Hale-Bopp Days, period 4
• Aug 29 - Comet is 2.5 AU from the Sun.
• Aug 30-Sep 14 - Best times for viewing (southern hemispheres only); faintly visible to the naked eye?

September 1997

• Aug 30-Sep 14 - Best times for viewing (southern hemispheres only); faintly visible to the naked eye?
• Sep 01 - New Moon
• Sep 10 - Comet rises about beginning of dawn from mid-northern latitudes; visible low in southeast
• Sep 16 - Full Moon; total lunar eclipse visible from eastern hemisphere
• Sep 16 - End of International Comet Hale-Bopp Days, period 4
• Sep 29-Oct 13 - Best times for viewing; best opportunities for final observations from mid-northern latitudes.

October 1997

• Sep 29-Oct 13 - Best times for viewing; best opportunities for final observations from mid-northern latitudes.
• Oct 01 - New Moon
• Oct 10 - Comet is 3.0 AU from the Sun.
• Oct 15 - Full Moon
• Oct 28-Nov 12 - Best times for viewing (southern hemisphere); last sigthings with naked eye? Last potential opportunity for observations from mid-northern latitudes.
• Oct 31 - New Moon

November 1997

• Oct 28-Nov 12 - Best times for viewing (southern hemisphere); last sightings with naked eye? Last potential opportunity for observations from mid-northern latitudes.
• Nov 14 - Full Moon
• Nov 14 - Beyond this date, visible above horizon all night from mid-southern latitudes
• Nov 23 - Comet is 3.5 AU from the Sun.
• Nov 30 - New Moon

December 1997

• Dec 27 - Comet Hale-Bopp at opposition
• Dec 29 - New Moon

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