If you missed last year's comet, you got another chance this year! Comet
Hale-Bopp was actually discovered in July of '95 at the same time by
both a professional and an amateur astronomer; in fact, before comet
Hyakutake appeared, comet Hale-Bopp was going to be the best naked-eye
comet in the last 20 years.

However, while comet Hyakutake was small, fast, and close, comet
Hale-Bopp was HUGE (about 25 miles in diameter!), much farther away (a
bit farther than the Sun), brighter, with an impressive tail (due to the
amount of dust being pushed by the solar wind).  But because it was so
big, it was visible for many months with just the eye alone.  And like
last year, it won't return for thousands of years.

This picture was taken about a week before it would be closest to
Earth-bound observers.


        taken 03/15/97, prime focus f/6.3, ASA 200, 1min