Sky & Telescope

SKY Online - Comet Hale-Bopp
Comet Hale-Bopp Is Coming!, By Edwin L. Aguirre
Adapted from Sky & Telescope, November 1995

Comet Hale-Bopp's Path

The following orbital elements (equinox 2000.0), calculated by Brian Marsden, are adapted from Minor Planet Circular 25,623:

Perihelion date, T		1997 Mar. 31.96 UT  

Perihelion distance, q		0.9143 a.u. 

Eccentricity, e        		0.9953    

Argument of perihelion 		130.57°   

Longitude of ascending node	282.47°   

Inclination, i         		89.43°