Another of dad’s notes was on this comet. I recall going out into the desert, as well as Wrightwood with dad to see this.
Comet Hale-Bopp
April 26, 1997
Comet H-B from the Angeles Crest Highway above Wrightwood, California. The comet is near an open cluster named “The Hyades” a loosely bound together group of around 132 stars brighter than magnitude 9. Comet Hale-Bopp will move past the Hyades in a few days and slowly move farther and farther away from us at 100,000 miles per hour.
As Hale-Bopp leaves the viewers of the Northern Hemisphere, it will be observable to those in the Southern Hemisphere, i.e.., South America, Australia, Africa, etc. Comet Hale-Bopp has been a naked eye comet for me since January 1, 1997 (4 months at this time) and will be for a short time yet. I have been observing it telescopically since August of 1995.
Camera: Pentax MX with f/1.4 lens. Film: Kodak Royal Gold 1000 at 15 sec. exposure.