In this picture, the Nobeyama 45m radio telescope is observing Comet Hale-Bopp, said to be the greatest comet of the 20th Century. This picture was taken at 6:30 pm on March 30, 1997. It shows the shape of the great comet with its ion tail and dust tail stretched out beautifully, just before its closest approach to the Sun. Nobeyama's 45m radio telescope was established in 1982, but today (31 years later) it continues to conduct leading edge research as the world's largest-diameter millimeter wave telescope.

The Conditions when the Photo was Taken and the Wait for Comet Ison (By the Photographer)

At the time when this comet was coming (January ~ April 1997), I was just getting started in astrophotography, so Comet Hale-Bopp holds many memories for me. I set out with my camera in the mornings and evenings at the best times to see the comet. The day this picture was taken, rain was falling in the afternoon and the situation looked hopeless. But the rain stopped and the clouds dispersed, leaving a beautifully clear evening sky. At the time of this photo, the radio telescope was also observing the comet.

From late November through early December of this year (2013), Comet Ison is expected to grow bright enough to be seen with the naked-eye. First and foremost, NAOJ's Ishigaki-jima's MURIKABUSHI Telescope and other telescopes all over the world will be able to photograph its bright figure. The skies in this area aren’t very clear; I have yet to see Comet Ison with my own eyes (as of late October). I'm waiting to see if it will become a great comet as predicted.

(Author: Yasufumi Saito)