Data about comet Hale-Bopp

Size of comet nucleus:	40 km
Lenght of tail:	about 50-60 mil. km (late March)
Length of tail in degrees:	about 10° (oko 20° on dark places)
Last visit to inner solar system and Earth:	2213g. BC
Next visit to inner solar system and Earth:	about 4300g. AD
Comet speed in perihel:	43.5 km/s
Comet speed in afel:	111.1 m/s
Closest approach to Earth:	1.315AI (22.March 1997)

Note: 1AJ = 150 milion kilometers

Orbital data of comet Hale-Bopp

Date of Perihelion Passage (Tp)	1997 April 1.13465
Perihelion Distance (q)	0.914101515 AI
Orbital Eccentricity (e)	0.99505916
Argument of Perihelion (w) (small omega)	130.5909135
Longitude of Ascending (Node) (large omega)	282.4706903
Orbital inclination (i)	89.4294098

Note:These elements are adapted from Charles Morris' excellent COMET HOME PAGE
at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.