... A Farewell to Tails . ... Credit: W. Pacholka Explanation: As 1997 fades, so does the Great Comet of 1997: Comet Hale-Bopp . Discovered even before the Great Comet of 1996 , Comet Hale-Bopp became the brightest comet since 1976 . Many will remember Comet Hale-Bopp as a comet with a coma so bright it could be seen by eye even when near the Moon . ... Publications with keywords: Comet Hale-Bopp . Publications with words: Comet Hale-Bopp . ... Comet Hale-Bopp Over Val Parola Pass . ...