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Session 72 - Comet Hale-Bopp.
Display session, Friday, January 09
Exhibit Hall,
We present CCD images of Comet Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1) taken between 0200 and 0300 UT on 14 April 1997, using the USAF Academy 61-cm telescope. These images reveal the existence of four distinct halos in the comet's coma. The halos are thought to be remnants of material ejected from active spots on the rotating comet's nucleus. The images clearly show a jet of material linking the nuclear region with the innermost halo. We estimate the velocity of the nuclear ejecta from the spacing of halos and the nuclear rotational period, and compare this with empirical models for the ejecta's velocity.
