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Today in History: Hale and Bopp independently discover legendary comet

7/23/2025

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Summary

Story summary

On July 22, 1995, amateur astronomer Thomas Bopp discovered Comet Hale–Bopp while observing the sky in the Arizona desert. Almost simultaneously, professional astronomer Alan Hale made the same discovery. This long-period comet became one of the brightest and most widely observed comets of the 20th century, named after both discoverers.

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Story summary

On July 22, 1995, amateur astronomer Thomas Bopp discovered Comet Hale–Bopp while observing the sky in the Arizona desert. Almost simultaneously, professional astronomer Alan Hale made the same discovery. This long-period comet became one of the brightest and most widely observed comets of the 20th century, named after both discoverers.