Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day we feature a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

August 20, 1995

Announcing Comet Hale-Bopp
Credit: Erich Meyer and Herbert Raab, Austria

Explanation: The pictured fuzzy patch may become one of the most spectacular comets this century. Although it is very hard to predict how bright a comet will become, Comet Hale-Bopp, named for its discoverers, was spotted further from the Sun than any previous comet - a good sign that it could become very bright, easily visible to the naked eye. This picture was taken on July 25th 1995, only two days after its discovery. A comet bright enough to see without a telescope occurs only about once a decade. The large coma and long tail of bright comets are so unusual and impressive that they have been considered omens of change by many cultures. A comet does not streak by in few seconds - but it may change its position and structure noticeably from night to night.

Tomorrow's picture: An Orbiting Iceberg

| Chronological Archive | Subject Sorted Archive | Glossary | Educational Links

Astronomy Picture of the Day (TM) is created and copyrighted in 1995 by Robert Nemiroff and Jerry Bonnell who are solely responsible for its content.

We are proud to acknowledge that an external review by Point Communications has rated Astronomy Picture of the Day in the top 5 percent of all World Wide Web sites.