240:, to work in the parts department of a construction company and continued to attend astronomy clubs in the local area. He joined the North Phoenix Alternative Astronomical Society, an unofficial group of enthusiasts founded by Kevin Gill who met up to observe in the Arizona desert. Despite multiple attempts, prior to 1995, Bopp had never observed a comet. At this time Bopp was making use of a telescope belonging to close friend Jim Stevens, a 17.5-inch reflecting telescope. On the night of July 22, 1995, eight members of the club met at an undisclosed spot near Vekol Ranch, ninety miles south of Phoenix and as usual Stevens and Bopp were sharing time looking through Stevens's telescope. Stevens had set up his newest home-built telescope and decided to look for
293:, director of the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams, called him back to confirm the sighting was indeed a comet. The comet was given the formal name Comet 1995 O1, and three days later its full title C/1995 O1 (Hale–Bopp), designating the first comet found during the second half-month of July 1995. Hale's name precedes Bopp's because his was the first report to arrive. It is uncertain who was the first to discover it, as they both spotted it at around the same time. The following day Hale phoned Bopp to introduce himself with the words, "I think that we have something in common." When they met at a conference two months later, Bopp said to the press that he was glad that Hale "turned out to be a nice guy."
302:
278:, the organization that records all astronomical sightings and names them, to officially log his findings. Discovering his cell phone had no coverage in the desert he drove towards home, stopping at a public payphone before realizing he did not have the phone number. At home again, Bopp finally reported the sighting by telegram to the IAU. Bopp had taken the institute's name literally and sent a telegram via Western Union. Hale had already sent three emails with the comet's coordinates.
229:
265:
to appear. Bopp, on the other hand, had never seen a comet before. Bopp and his friends checked star charts and watched the object for an hour to determine whether it was moving. Bopp and another member of the group, Bertie Sanden, made drawings of its position in relation to other nearby dim stars
252:
and called Bopp over to look. At around 11 p.m. Bopp looked into the telescope and said, "What's this other object?" Stevens replied, "You might have something there, Tom." Bopp later described what he saw as "a little fuzzy glow" which he initially believed to be a galaxy. On the same night,
323:
in the Friday night broadcast. Bopp has said that "I thought that it would be a comet that would be mentioned in the back of some obscure textbook somewhere, but it's certainly not turned out to be that way." As Hale–Bopp became more visible, Bopp left his job and became a full-time speaker and
33:
168:. It was there that, at the age of three, his father Frank Bopp introduced him to astronomy on the porch steps of the family home as they watched a meteor shower. Frank began to teach him about planets, constellations and the
347:
In 1997, as comet Hale–Bopp reached its brightest point, Bopp's brother and sister-in-law were killed in a car accident after photographing the comet. "This has been the best week of my life. And the worst," Bopp told a
199:
and studied business administration. While attending the university, he had access to the physics and astronomy departments and took their classes as part of the elective elements of his education. It was here he met
701:
340:
to observe the comet and look for argon and neon. Previously unobserved isotopes were discovered in addition to a third sodium tail. Bopp was awarded an honorary doctor of
Science degree from
371:, were involved in a car crash. Gene died in the crash and his ashes were sent to the Moon along with an image of Comet Hale-Bopp, "the last comet that the Shoemakers observed together."
204:
astrophysicist Dr. Edwin Bishop and
Youngstown State emeritus professor of Astronomy Dr. Warren Young, who encouraged him to join the Mahoning Valley Astronomical Society (MVAS) in
285:
I never seriously thought I would find anything like that. The chances of me discovering a bright comet, something that occurs once every 20 years or so, were astronomically small.
374:
In 1997, when Bopp pointed out the comet would soon disappear from view and would not be visible for another 2380 years, he said he would always continue looking up at the stars.
313:
After the discovery, Bopp was in demand on television and radio, and was invited to speak at conferences. One such appearance was on the children's science television show
950:
431:
732:
1341:
1306:
828:
1163:
195:, Arizona, where he met his wife-to-be Charlotte. He left the air force in 1972. The couple soon married and had a daughter, April. Bopp then attended
1326:
324:
educator. He enjoyed presenting in schools, science centers and museums, enthusing children with astronomy, and met up with his co-discoverer Hale in
267:
669:
1062:
1336:
356:
1316:
1233:
306:
410:
382:
He continued to volunteer at observatories near
Phoenix, Arizona, towards the end of his life, speaking about Hale–Bopp. He died of
188:
866:
271:
1115:
1321:
927:
344:
in 1998. Bopp and his father also became the first two members of the
Friends of Ward Beecher Planetarium at the university.
564:
614:
187:, an optical phenomenon which occurs just before sunset above the setting sun. After 18 months of service he was moved to
1311:
1331:
1167:
439:
378:
I'll never give up looking at the skies. There's so many beautiful things there. And I love to share that with people.
341:
249:
196:
152:
when he made the discovery. It was the first comet he had observed and he was using a borrowed, home-built telescope.
84:
368:
468:
136:
discovered it independently at almost the same time, and it was thus named after both of them. At the time of the
329:
793:
655:
315:
275:
836:
534:
1171:
502:
180:
1058:
858:
760:
660:
364:
320:
258:
254:
141:
133:
113:
1005:
1032:
1301:
1296:
360:
337:
301:
129:
109:
217:
176:
125:
98:
888:
797:
1229:
1223:
923:
862:
406:
241:
919:
1219:
290:
237:
213:
209:
165:
72:
201:
169:
94:
262:
149:
1290:
1089:
912:
825:
589:
383:
1119:
1193:
1001:
333:
205:
972:
328:
while taking a group of school children to see the 2012 eclipse in
Australia. At
764:
184:
1281:
622:
325:
245:
228:
145:
172:. At the age of ten he received his first telescope, a four-inch reflector.
1256:
1141:
148:. On the night of July 22, Bopp was observing the sky with friends in the
1063:"Comet Hale-Bopp Co-Discoverer Observes Total Solar Eclipse Down Under"
192:
161:
53:
208:. He regularly attended meetings and became friends with astronaut
1276:
300:
227:
183:
and served in the
Philippines where several times he observed the
137:
702:"Thomas Bopp, whose name was memorialized in a comet, dies at 68"
355:
Bopp and his father Frank have had an asteroid named after them,
266:
and, on discovering the movement, Bopp attempted to contact the
332:
in 1997 Bopp was invited to be an observer when an ultraviolet
32:
367:. In 1997, the Shoemakers, both famous for co-discovering
253:
professional astronomer and experienced comet observer
164:, Colorado. The following year his family relocated to
1228:. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 555.
1142:"1.1 Collaborative Projects: Campus and the Community"
1118:. Youngstown State University Archives. Archived from
889:"PRESS INFORMATION SHEET: Comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp)"
539:
The public library of
Youngstown & Mahoning County
124:(October 15, 1949 – January 5, 2018) was an American
1257:"Eugene Shoemaker Ashes Carried on Lunar Prospector"
289:
The following morning at 8:25 am the office of
104:
90:
80:
61:
39:
23:
911:
659:
376:
283:
319:. On March 21, 1997, Hale and Bopp were named
891:. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
695:
693:
691:
689:
687:
281:Bopp later acknowledged the chance discovery
8:
973:"PERSON OF THE WEEK (HALE AND BOPP) #172122"
425:
423:
421:
419:
403:Biographical Dictionary of Great Astronomers
755:
753:
996:
994:
992:
990:
918:. Johns Hopkins University Press. p.
820:
818:
788:
786:
257:had spotted the same thing at his home in
31:
20:
861:; Bopp, T.; Stevens, J. (July 23, 1995).
726:
724:
722:
650:
648:
646:
644:
642:
640:
529:
527:
525:
523:
497:
495:
493:
491:
489:
268:Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
558:
556:
463:
461:
459:
457:
261:, while he was killing time waiting for
1263:. News Services, University of Arizona.
394:
386:on January 5, 2018, at the age of 68.
1033:"The legend of SpaceFest V continues"
733:"How Hale and Bopp found their comet"
565:"Introduction : Comet Hale-Bopp"
179:and graduated in 1967. He joined the
7:
405:, Surah Books (pvt) Ltd., Chennai,
160:Bopp was born October 15, 1949, in
1342:Youngstown State University alumni
1170:. December 2, 2009. Archived from
765:"The Discovery of Comet Hale-Bopp"
590:"Chaney High School class of 1967"
307:Fernbank Museum of Natural History
14:
1307:20th-century American astronomers
359:, discovered October 5, 1991, by
1327:Military personnel from Colorado
1225:Dictionary of Minor Planet Names
672:from the original on May 7, 2022
469:"Comet Hale-Bopp Puts on a Show"
272:International Astronomical Union
140:discovery he was a manager at a
1282:Comet Hale–Bopp Timeline – 1997
1277:Comet Hale-Bopp Homepage at JPL
1198:JPL Small-Body Database Browser
1090:"Scientists Reach Out to Comet"
16:American astronomer (1949–2018)
1:
1144:. Youngstown State University
1031:Melville, Iain; Howes, Nick.
401:Ramamurthy G. (August 2005).
1337:People from Youngstown, Ohio
1069:. American Public University
829:"Riding on the comet's tail"
224:Discovery of comet Hale–Bopp
189:Davis–Monthan Air Force Base
1168:National Geographic Society
619:Youngstown State University
342:Youngstown State University
197:Youngstown State University
85:Youngstown State University
1358:
1006:"Thomas Bopp on Hale-Bopp"
1317:Deaths from liver failure
1096:. Journal Southern Bureau
975:. Television News archive
473:The Canadian Encyclopedia
330:White Sands Missile Range
128:. In 1995, he discovered
30:
661:"Starry, starry knights"
316:Bill Nye The Science Guy
276:Cambridge, Massachusetts
156:Early life and education
863:"IAU Circular No. 6187"
615:"Physics and astronomy"
181:United States Air Force
144:factory and an amateur
1194:"7086 Bopp (1991 TA1)"
535:"Local notable people"
380:
369:comet Shoemaker–Levy 9
321:ABC Person of the Week
310:
287:
259:Cloudcroft, New Mexico
236:In 1980 Bopp moved to
233:
212:and enjoyed observing
142:construction materials
1322:Discoverers of comets
910:Kidger, Mark (2005).
304:
248:in the constellation
231:
1067:Online Learning Tips
951:"Person of the week"
914:Astronomical Enigmas
839:on December 22, 2016
625:on December 22, 2016
216:with the club's 16"
95:Professional speaker
1312:Amateur astronomers
1164:"The Age of Comets"
1094:Albuquerque Journal
1061:(January 3, 2013).
1037:Under British Skies
833:Sky & Telescope
563:Anderson, Scott R.
442:on January 11, 2010
436:National Geographic
432:"The Age of Comets"
350:National Geographic
297:After the discovery
244:. Stevens lined up
218:Newtonian reflector
1332:People from Denver
1174:on January 8, 2018
798:"A Cosmic Blunder"
731:Friedl, Blaine P.
430:Newcott, William.
338:Black Brant rocket
311:
234:
177:Chaney High School
126:amateur astronomer
99:amateur astronomer
1261:www2.jpl.nasa.gov
1220:Schmadel, Lutz D.
802:Phoenix New Times
700:Smith, Harrison.
658:(April 5, 1997).
503:"Dr. Thomas Bopp"
242:globular clusters
119:
118:
1349:
1265:
1264:
1253:
1247:
1246:
1244:
1242:
1216:
1210:
1209:
1207:
1205:
1190:
1184:
1183:
1181:
1179:
1160:
1154:
1153:
1151:
1149:
1138:
1132:
1131:
1129:
1127:
1112:
1106:
1105:
1103:
1101:
1085:
1079:
1078:
1076:
1074:
1055:
1049:
1048:
1046:
1044:
1028:
1022:
1021:
1019:
1017:
998:
985:
984:
982:
980:
969:
963:
962:
960:
958:
947:
941:
940:
938:
936:
917:
907:
901:
900:
898:
896:
884:
878:
877:
875:
873:
855:
849:
848:
846:
844:
835:. Archived from
822:
813:
812:
810:
808:
790:
781:
780:
778:
776:
757:
748:
747:
745:
743:
728:
717:
716:
714:
712:
697:
682:
681:
679:
677:
663:
652:
635:
634:
632:
630:
621:. Archived from
611:
605:
604:
602:
600:
586:
580:
579:
577:
575:
560:
551:
550:
548:
546:
531:
518:
517:
515:
513:
499:
484:
483:
481:
479:
465:
452:
451:
449:
447:
438:. Archived from
427:
414:
399:
336:was launched by
309:auditorium, 2010
246:Messier 70 (M70)
238:Phoenix, Arizona
214:deep sky objects
210:Ronald A. Parise
166:Youngstown, Ohio
122:Thomas Joel Bopp
108:Co-discovery of
73:Phoenix, Arizona
68:
56:, Colorado, U.S.
50:October 15, 1949
49:
47:
35:
21:
1357:
1356:
1352:
1351:
1350:
1348:
1347:
1346:
1287:
1286:
1273:
1268:
1255:
1254:
1250:
1240:
1238:
1236:
1218:
1217:
1213:
1203:
1201:
1192:
1191:
1187:
1177:
1175:
1162:
1161:
1157:
1147:
1145:
1140:
1139:
1135:
1125:
1123:
1122:on July 6, 2010
1114:
1113:
1109:
1099:
1097:
1087:
1086:
1082:
1072:
1070:
1057:
1056:
1052:
1042:
1040:
1030:
1029:
1025:
1015:
1013:
1012:. NBC Universal
1000:
999:
988:
978:
976:
971:
970:
966:
956:
954:
949:
948:
944:
934:
932:
930:
909:
908:
904:
894:
892:
886:
885:
881:
871:
869:
857:
856:
852:
842:
840:
824:
823:
816:
806:
804:
792:
791:
784:
774:
772:
759:
758:
751:
741:
739:
737:Washington Post
730:
729:
720:
710:
708:
706:Washington Post
699:
698:
685:
675:
673:
654:
653:
638:
628:
626:
613:
612:
608:
598:
596:
588:
587:
583:
573:
571:
562:
561:
554:
544:
542:
533:
532:
521:
511:
509:
501:
500:
487:
477:
475:
467:
466:
455:
445:
443:
429:
428:
417:
400:
396:
392:
305:Thomas Bopp at
299:
232:Comet Hale–Bopp
226:
202:Yale University
170:aurora borealis
158:
130:comet Hale–Bopp
110:comet Hale–Bopp
81:Alma mater
76:
70:
66:
65:January 5, 2018
57:
51:
45:
43:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1355:
1353:
1345:
1344:
1339:
1334:
1329:
1324:
1319:
1314:
1309:
1304:
1299:
1289:
1288:
1285:
1284:
1279:
1272:
1271:External links
1269:
1267:
1266:
1248:
1235:978-3642297182
1234:
1211:
1185:
1155:
1133:
1107:
1080:
1050:
1039:. Astronomy FM
1023:
986:
964:
942:
928:
902:
879:
850:
826:Levy, David H.
814:
782:
749:
718:
683:
636:
606:
581:
552:
519:
485:
453:
415:
393:
391:
388:
365:Gene Shoemaker
298:
295:
263:Comet d'Arrest
225:
222:
175:Bopp attended
157:
154:
150:Arizona desert
117:
116:
106:
105:Known for
102:
101:
92:
88:
87:
82:
78:
77:
71:
69:(aged 68)
63:
59:
58:
52:
41:
37:
36:
28:
27:
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1354:
1343:
1340:
1338:
1335:
1333:
1330:
1328:
1325:
1323:
1320:
1318:
1315:
1313:
1310:
1308:
1305:
1303:
1300:
1298:
1295:
1294:
1292:
1283:
1280:
1278:
1275:
1274:
1270:
1262:
1258:
1252:
1249:
1237:
1231:
1227:
1226:
1221:
1215:
1212:
1199:
1195:
1189:
1186:
1173:
1169:
1165:
1159:
1156:
1143:
1137:
1134:
1121:
1117:
1116:"YSU in 1998"
1111:
1108:
1095:
1091:
1084:
1081:
1068:
1064:
1060:
1054:
1051:
1038:
1034:
1027:
1024:
1011:
1007:
1003:
1002:Couric, Katie
997:
995:
993:
991:
987:
974:
968:
965:
952:
946:
943:
931:
925:
921:
916:
915:
906:
903:
890:
883:
880:
868:
864:
860:
854:
851:
838:
834:
830:
827:
821:
819:
815:
803:
799:
795:
789:
787:
783:
770:
766:
762:
756:
754:
750:
738:
734:
727:
725:
723:
719:
707:
703:
696:
694:
692:
690:
688:
684:
671:
667:
662:
657:
651:
649:
647:
645:
643:
641:
637:
624:
620:
616:
610:
607:
595:
591:
585:
582:
570:
566:
559:
557:
553:
540:
536:
530:
528:
526:
524:
520:
508:
504:
498:
496:
494:
492:
490:
486:
474:
470:
464:
462:
460:
458:
454:
441:
437:
433:
426:
424:
422:
420:
416:
412:
411:81-7478-697-X
408:
404:
398:
395:
389:
387:
385:
384:liver failure
379:
375:
372:
370:
366:
362:
358:
353:
351:
345:
343:
339:
335:
331:
327:
322:
318:
317:
308:
303:
296:
294:
292:
291:Brian Marsden
286:
282:
279:
277:
273:
269:
264:
260:
256:
251:
247:
243:
239:
230:
223:
221:
219:
215:
211:
207:
203:
198:
194:
190:
186:
182:
178:
173:
171:
167:
163:
155:
153:
151:
147:
143:
139:
135:
131:
127:
123:
115:
111:
107:
103:
100:
96:
93:
91:Occupation(s)
89:
86:
83:
79:
74:
64:
60:
55:
42:
38:
34:
29:
22:
19:
1260:
1251:
1241:December 20,
1239:. Retrieved
1224:
1214:
1204:December 20,
1202:. Retrieved
1197:
1188:
1176:. Retrieved
1172:the original
1158:
1148:December 21,
1146:. Retrieved
1136:
1126:December 21,
1124:. Retrieved
1120:the original
1110:
1100:December 21,
1098:. Retrieved
1093:
1088:Romo, Rene.
1083:
1073:December 20,
1071:. Retrieved
1066:
1053:
1043:December 20,
1041:. Retrieved
1036:
1026:
1016:December 20,
1014:. Retrieved
1009:
979:December 21,
977:. Retrieved
967:
957:December 21,
955:. Retrieved
945:
935:December 20,
933:. Retrieved
913:
905:
895:December 20,
893:. Retrieved
882:
870:. Retrieved
853:
843:December 21,
841:. Retrieved
837:the original
832:
807:December 19,
805:. Retrieved
801:
794:Ortega, Tony
775:December 19,
773:. Retrieved
769:jpl.nasa.gov
768:
742:December 19,
740:. Retrieved
736:
709:. Retrieved
705:
676:December 19,
674:. Retrieved
665:
656:Carlin, John
629:December 19,
627:. Retrieved
623:the original
618:
609:
599:December 19,
597:. Retrieved
593:
584:
574:December 19,
572:. Retrieved
568:
545:December 19,
543:. Retrieved
538:
512:December 19,
510:. Retrieved
506:
478:December 20,
476:. Retrieved
472:
446:December 19,
444:. Retrieved
440:the original
435:
402:
397:
381:
377:
373:
354:
349:
346:
334:spectrograph
314:
312:
288:
284:
280:
235:
206:Warren, Ohio
174:
159:
121:
120:
67:(2018-01-05)
18:
1302:2018 deaths
1297:1949 births
711:January 12,
666:Independent
594:Old Friends
569:Open Course
357:(7086) Bopp
250:Sagittarius
220:telescope.
185:green flash
25:Thomas Bopp
1291:Categories
1178:January 8,
1059:Hale, Alan
1010:Today Show
953:. ABC News
929:0801880262
761:Hale, Alan
390:References
352:reporter.
326:Queensland
146:astronomer
46:1949-10-15
507:Espeakers
274:(IAU) in
255:Alan Hale
134:Alan Hale
114:Alan Hale
1222:(2012).
859:Hale, A.
670:Archived
872:July 5,
361:Carolyn
270:at the
1232:
1200:. NASA
926:
771:. NASA
541:. FDLP
409:
193:Tucson
162:Denver
75:, U.S.
54:Denver
887:IAU.
138:comet
112:with
1243:2016
1230:ISBN
1206:2016
1180:2018
1150:2016
1128:2016
1102:2016
1075:2016
1045:2016
1018:2016
981:2016
959:2016
937:2016
924:ISBN
897:2016
874:2011
845:2016
809:2016
777:2016
744:2016
713:2018
678:2016
631:2016
601:2016
576:2016
547:2016
514:2016
480:2016
448:2016
407:ISBN
363:and
62:Died
40:Born
867:IAU
191:in
1293::
1259:.
1196:.
1166:.
1092:.
1065:.
1035:.
1008:.
1004:.
989:^
922:.
920:73
865:.
831:.
817:^
800:.
796:.
785:^
767:.
763:.
752:^
735:.
721:^
704:.
686:^
668:.
664:.
639:^
617:.
592:.
567:.
555:^
537:.
522:^
505:.
488:^
471:.
456:^
434:.
418:^
132:;
97:,
1245:.
1208:.
1182:.
1152:.
1130:.
1104:.
1077:.
1047:.
1020:.
983:.
961:.
939:.
899:.
876:.
847:.
811:.
779:.
746:.
715:.
680:.
633:.
603:.
578:.
549:.
516:.
482:.
450:.
413:.
48:)
44:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
