Comets — those small, icy objects orbiting the sun — act like floating time capsules, offering a window into the early days of our solar system's formation and holding clues about the origins of life ...

Comets take the name of the discoverer, whether that be a human or an automated telescopic survey that robotically inspects the sky every night. For example, Comet Hale-Bopp is named for Alan Hale and ...

Comet Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1) was independently discovered by amateur astronomers Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp on July 23, 1995, at approximately 7 astronomical units from the Sun, initially presenting at ...

"Hale-Bopp has been a favorite of comet studies in part because it was one of the brightest comets seen." When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how ...