In 1996, we also observed another great comet: Comet Hyakutake. Bob actually liked this comet better than Hale Bopp.
Here is Hale-Bopp on April 2, 1997 from the north part of Sky Line drive in Virginia. The funny things in the sky are clouds. Brent's 5-inch refractor is on the left. Yep, the Jeep's inside lights are red! Note the red California nebula, upper left. Kodak Royal Gold 1000 ISO film, 35mm f/2 nikkor lens, 45 second exposure.
Bob also took pictures of Comet Hyakutake in 1996.
Brent Archinal observes the comet through his 5-inch f/5 refractor from Sky Line Drive on April 2, 1997. Kodak Royal Gold 1000 ISO film, 35mm f/2 nikkor lens, 45 second exposure.
An extreme wide angle shot from Sky Line Drive on April 2,1997 shows the slightly slanted dome of the zodical light to the left of the comet. Kodak Royal Gold 1000 ISO film, 20mm f/3.5 nikkor lens, 60 second exposure.
Just a plain-jane image of Hale-Bopp. Note how the ion trail nearly touches the double cluster. Kodak Royal Gold 1000 ISO film, 50mm f/1.4 nikkor lens, 10 minutes.
Here's a favorite picture! A family portrait taken March 30, 1997 from Wye Island on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The full moon was behind the camera and was kind enough to light the landscape. So it looks like day, but it isn't...
It looks like the dawn of a new day, but it's really the glow from Washington, DC, about 60 miles away! Light pollution at it's best. In the United States, we waste at least $1 billion of your tax money with poorly designed lighting that allows light to escape upwards, away from the ground - only to light the bottoms of birds and planes - for no apparent good.
This photo of Hale-Bopp was taken on March 9, from Skyline Drive, Virginia (3,300 ft!) at about 4:30am. Notice comet's blue Ion, or Plasma tail and the red emission nebula in the Milky-Way above the comet. Photo taken with a 35mm Nikkor lens on a Nikon FM2 camera. Forty-five seconds on Kodak Royal Gold 1000 ISO color negative film at f/2.
Brent Archinal gazing at the comet with 7x35 binoculars on March 9, from Skyline Drive, Virginia (3,300 ft). Note the street lights on the Piedmont plain below Brent. The background light is light pollution from Washington DC. Photo taken with a 35mm Nikkor lens on a Nikon FM2 camera. Forty-five seconds on Kodak Royal Gold 1000 ISO color negative film at f/2.
This drawing was made from Bowie, Maryland, using a 10-inch f/5.6 reflector and a 12mm erfle eyepiece for 130x on February 23 at about 5:45 am EST. At the time, the comet was very bright - about as bright as Altair. Notice the "bands" that appear coming off the head of the comet, almost like detachments from a jet on the nucleus of the comet.
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The comet in daylight?
Hale-Bopp attacks Washington, DC!
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