On This Day in Space! March 22, 1997: Comet Hale-Bopp flies by Earth, ,

On March 22, 1997, a super bright comet by the name of Hale-Bopp made its closest approach to Earth. It was bright enough for people to see without telescopes or binoculars for over 18 months.

Comet Hale-Bopp still holds the record for being visible to the naked eye for longer than any other comet, and it was probably the most-viewed comet in history. It passed by Earth at a safe distance of about 120 million miles before continuing its orbit around the sun.

As it got closer to the sun, Hale-Bopp’s two blue and white tails grew bigger and brighter. By the time it made it to the sun on April 1, it was shining brighter than every star in the sky except for Sirius.

Catch up on our entire “On This Day In Space” series on YouTube with this playlist.

[image error]

History of NASA: $22.99 at Magazines Direct

Discover the story of how and why NASA was created, its greatest triumphs, darkest days, and of the times it exceeded all possible hopes. A tale of adventure, heroism and resourcefulness, learn of the space agency’s greatest achievements and how — over six decades — the organization has consistently and tirelessly devoted itself to its founding principle: that “activities in space should be devoted to peaceful purposes for the benefit of all humankind”. View Deal

Still not enough space? Don’t forget to check out our Space Image of the Day, and on the weekends our Best Space Photos and Top Space News Stories of the week.

Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

The post On This Day in Space! March 22, 1997: Comet Hale-Bopp flies by Earth, , appeared first on NEWDAWN Blog.