The comet that came closest to Earth in 1997 was Comet Hale-Bopp. It reached its closest approach to Earth in late March of that year, becoming one of the brightest comets visible from Earth in the twentieth century.
This comet was named after the 2 scientist who began the study of the effects of the comets collision with Jupiter. Their names were Shoemaker and Levy, thus naming the comet the Shoemaker-Levy comet. Obviously after crashing into Jupiter the comet no longer exists.
No, Halley's Comet was last visible from Earth in 1986 and is expected to return in 2061. It has an orbital period of about 76 years.
Comet Hale-Bopp has a highly elliptical orbit of about 4,200 years so it does not come close to Earth frequently. Its last close approach to Earth was in 1997 when it was visible in the sky for an extended period. It is not expected to come close to Earth again for several millennia.
We don't yet know; nobody has discovered it yet. Actually, NASA scientists have seen at least two comets so far in 2010 that were first discovered as they fell into the Sun! Hopefully, we'll get a chance to see the next one. The vast majority of comets have orbits that are not well known. Halley's Comet, with a period of only 76 years, is the classic example of a short-period comet. But most comets are "new" to us, not appearing anywhere in the historical records. Note, for example, that Comet Hale-Bopp, which was quite visible in 1997, had last visited the inner solar system 4,200 years before; perhaps the Babylonians or Sumerians noticed it, but none of their records mention it. Hundreds of quasi-amateur astronomers spend their nights in their observatories, watching the skies, and we will know about the next comet as soon as the IAU receives their e-mail about it.
The comet Hale- Bopp, dicovred by alan hale and thomas Bopp, came close to the earth in 1997.This happenend eleven years after Halley's comet came around.
No, Comet Hale-Bopp did not crash into Jupiter. Comet Hale-Bopp made a close approach to the Earth in 1997, but its trajectory did not intersect with Jupiter.
The comet that came closest to Earth in 1997 was Comet Hale-Bopp. It reached its closest approach to Earth in late March of that year, becoming one of the brightest comets visible from Earth in the twentieth century.
Hale-Bopp. The Heavens Gate cult committed mass suicide around the time of it's approach as they belevied they would be transported to a UFO following the comet.
This comet was named after the 2 scientist who began the study of the effects of the comets collision with Jupiter. Their names were Shoemaker and Levy, thus naming the comet the Shoemaker-Levy comet. Obviously after crashing into Jupiter the comet no longer exists.
No, Halley's Comet was last visible from Earth in 1986 and is expected to return in 2061. It has an orbital period of about 76 years.
Comet Hale-Bopp has a highly elliptical orbit of about 4,200 years so it does not come close to Earth frequently. Its last close approach to Earth was in 1997 when it was visible in the sky for an extended period. It is not expected to come close to Earth again for several millennia.
We don't yet know; nobody has discovered it yet. Actually, NASA scientists have seen at least two comets so far in 2010 that were first discovered as they fell into the Sun! Hopefully, we'll get a chance to see the next one. The vast majority of comets have orbits that are not well known. Halley's Comet, with a period of only 76 years, is the classic example of a short-period comet. But most comets are "new" to us, not appearing anywhere in the historical records. Note, for example, that Comet Hale-Bopp, which was quite visible in 1997, had last visited the inner solar system 4,200 years before; perhaps the Babylonians or Sumerians noticed it, but none of their records mention it. Hundreds of quasi-amateur astronomers spend their nights in their observatories, watching the skies, and we will know about the next comet as soon as the IAU receives their e-mail about it.
Comet Hale-Bopp is known as The Great Comet of 1997. It was one of the brightest and most widely observed comets of the 20th century. People around the world could see it with the naked eye for over 18 months.
As objects visible to astronomers with telescopes, it is a rare time when some comet is not visible in the sky, at some place in the world. But as far as large, naked-eye comets, the last one was Comet Hale-Bopp, which reached maximum brightness in April of 1997. It will not return for about 2500 years. New comets are being discovered all the time, but there is no way to predict when or if a large, naked-eye comet will be seen again. We are reasonably sure of the return of Comet Halley, but that will next be in 2061.
The comet was called the Hale-Bopp. It passed on April 1, 1997 even though the cult known as Heaven Gate committed mass suicide March 28, 1997. They believed that the perihelion was at its brightest and they could then hitch a ride. It was the known as the Great comet of 1997.
This is written on September 6, 2012. At present, there are no comets visible with the naked eye, but there are a number of comets that are visible with even a modest telescope. The brightest is currently 96P/Machholz.