Hale-Bopp

Click a letter for the index

Or search the encyclopaedia:

 

 

Go

 

Large and exceptionally active comet, which in March 1997 made its closest fly-by to Earth since 2000 BC, coming within 190 million km/118 million mi. It has a nucleus of approximately 40 km/25 mi and an extensive gas coma (when close to the Sun Hale-Bopp released 10 tonnes of gas every second). Unusually, Hale-Bopp has three tails: one consisting of dust particles, one of charged particles, and a third of sodium particles.

Hale-Bopp was discovered independently in July 1995 by two US amateur astronomers, Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp.

Green stands for the forests and agriculture. Gold symbolizes the country's mineral wealth. Blue represents the sea. Effective date: 30 June 1964. >>