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SKY Online - Comet Hale-Bopp
Comet Hale-Bopp Is Coming!, By Edwin L. Aguirre
Adapted from Sky & Telescope, November 1995

Comet Hale-Bopp's Path

The following orbital elements (equinox 2000.0), calculated by Brian Marsden, are adapted from Minor Planet Circular 25,623:

Perihelion date, T		1997 Mar. 31.96 UT  

Perihelion distance, q 0.9143 a.u.

Eccentricity, e 0.9953

Argument of perihelion 130.57°

Longitude of ascending node 282.47°

Inclination, i 89.43°