- Event: Comet Hale-Bopp viewing
- Date: April 4-6
- Time: 7 – 11 p.m.
- Place: UBC Physics and Astronomy observatory, 2219 Main
Mall
Parking is available in the West Parkade on West Mall. Enter at
Gate 6 off Southwest Marine Drive.
Comet Hale-Bopp has been hailed by many experts as the comet of
the century. But will it live up to expectations?
Join astronomers and physicists at the UBC observatory during the
first week in April to find out.
The UBC Dept. of Physics and Astronomy will open its campus observatory
for free public viewing of Comet Hale-Bopp during the nights of
April 4-6.
Experts will be on hand to answer questions about Hale-Bopp, the
importance of comet studies and the effects of comet impacts on
Earth in the past.
Hale-Bopp’s closest position to Earth is estimated at 200 million
kilometres on March 22.
Hale-Bopp, also known as C/1995 O1 among learned comet watchers,
was discovered on July 22, 1995, when it was more than a billion
kilometres from the sun (that’s seven times further from the sun
than the Earth).
Experts believe Hale-Bopp is the largest cometary intruder to swing
through the inner solar system since 1577. Estimates are that the
icy core of the comet must be at least 40 kilometres in diameter
for it to be detected at such a great distance.
Jaymie Matthews, with the Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, says
from mid-March and throughout April, the comet and its dusty tail
should be easily visible in the evenings over the northwest horizon.
“Skygazers everywhere in B.C. will be able to follow the comet
all night at times, since it will never set below the horizon,”
says Matthews.
Matthews and his colleagues plan to use computer links to display
the latest electronic images and scientific findings about Hale-Bopp
from observatories around the world.
-30-
