... MPG/ESO 2.2-m Telescope , WFI , La Silla Observatory , ESO Explanation: Whatever became of Comet Hale-Bopp ? The brightest comet in recent years has continued into the outer Solar System and is now further from the Sun than Saturn . ... Pictured above earlier this month, Comet Hale-Bopp can be seen in the Southern Hemisphere with a moderate sized-telescope. The continued activity of Comet Hale-Bopp may be due to the large size of its nucleus - estimated to be about 50 kilometers across. ...