... NGC 1531 is the background galaxy with a bright core just above center and NGC 1532 is the foreground spiral galaxy laced with dust lanes. Hale-Bopp: The Crowd Pleaser Comet . ... In 1997, the bright comet Hale-Bopp may have become the most viewed comet in history -- visible even to casual skywatchers in light polluted cities around the globe. ... Distant Pluto and its moon Charon therefore remain somewhat mysterious. ... The bright Lagoon Nebula is home to a diverse array of astronomical objects. ...