Alan Hale, Sky Watcher Who Created a Comet Sensation, Dies at 68
The New York Times • • science
Key Points:
- Alan Hale, co-discoverer of the widely viewed Hale-Bopp comet, passed away on June 6 at age 68 in Cloudcroft, New Mexico; the cause of death is undetermined but followed complications from recent surgery.
- Hale spotted the comet on July 23, 1995, from his garage using a telescope, identifying a fuzzy object near the star cluster M70 in the constellation Sagittarius.
- Despite holding a Ph.D. in astronomy, Hale was running a small education company at the time of the discovery and was a dedicated comet observer since childhood.
- Hale promptly reported his observations to the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams, contributing to the official recognition of the comet that would become one of the most observed in human history.
- Cloudcroft's high elevation and dark skies made it an ideal location for Hale's astronomical observations.