COMET Hale Bopp comes closest to Wirral on April 1, when the spectacular moving object will be just 85 million miles away. It is possible to see Hale Bopp now, with the naked eye, on a clear night in the North West sky over Liverpool Bay. Hale Bopp looks like a furry, fuzzy blob with a murky tail, completely different to a star.
Hale Bopp was last here in ancient Egyptian times, that is a 'fair-o-way' time ago. So don't miss it! Hale Bopp won't be back for another 2,400 years.
The comet - discovered by astronomers Hale and Bopp - is travelling at 43,000 miles per hour.
Comets are blobs of gas, rock and ice, which reflect light from from stars. Hale Bopp becomes more visible as it nears our sun. They are thought to come from a region of icy debris called Oort Cloud, about one light year away - or 9.46 million, million, million kilometres.
To find the comet, look for the W shaped - W for Wirral Globe -five star constellation of Cassiopeia in the North West sky. Look a little below it and there is Hale Bopp, crystal clear!
Why not have a Hale Bopp spotters' party? Invite friends around. View together. Bake comet rock cakes. Have iced drinks. In fact, let us have a recipe for making Comet Cake. We will put up a prize for the best recipe published in the paper. Send to Comet Cake Contest, Wirral Globe, Catherine Street, Birkenhead L41 6HW.
Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article