Comet Hale-Bopp, computer-enhanced coloured image. Hale-Bopp was one of the brightest comets of the 20th century, and was seen for much of early 1997.

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Comet Hale-Bopp, computer-enhanced coloured image. Hale-Bopp was one of the brightest comets of the 20th century, and was seen for much of early 1997. A comet is a lump of ice and rock whose orbit brings it close enough to the Sun for its icy core (white, lower centre) to melt and boil into space. The Sun's solar wind and radiation blows the resulting ions and dust into tails (left and right) that can be millions of kilometres long. The ion tail (left) glows with its own light. The dust tail (right) reflects sunlight. The ion tail always points away from the Sun. Also known as C/1995 O1, Comet Hale-Bopp was closest to the Sun in March 1997. It is a long-period comet: it will be around 4000 years before it reappears in the inner solar system.

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Size: 4268px × 5161px
Photo credit: © DETLEV VAN RAVENSWAAY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: /1995, 1900s, 1997, 20th, astronomical, astronomy, century, coloured, comet, cometary, computer-enhanced, dust, false-coloured, hale-bopp, ion, night, o1, single, sky, solar, space, system, tail