For those who have not yet seen the Comet Hale-Bopp, the biggest and brightest comet to come our way since 1811, don’t despair. Ames and Iowa State astronomers are holding comet-gazing events throughout the month.

“It’s an amazing comet. It’s really worth seeing. If you get a chance, you should definitely take a look at it,” said Philip Appleton, an associate professor of physics and astronomy.

Appleton said Comet Hale-Bopp is one of the most spectacular comets he has ever seen in his lifetime. He said the comet was last in the vicinity of the sun about 4,000 years ago, and is expected to return in about 2,000 years.

For prime viewing of Hale-Bopp, Appleton suggests staying up late and viewing the comet at about 3 a.m. with a pair of field binoculars. For best results, he said to get away from any nearby lights and let your eyes adjust to the darkness for about 10 minutes before looking for the comet.

The comet is also very visible about one hour after sunset, he said.

“Just look to the northwest, and you will see it low in the sky. It’s one of the brightest things you can see as the sun goes down,” Appleton said.

According to the CNN internet site, the best time to view Hale-Bopp is March 26 – April 12. During this time, the moon will not significantly interfere with viewing and the comet should display a noticeable tail that is expected to extend for 20 degrees or more.

April Fool’s Day, when the comet arrives at perihelion, the closest it will get to the sun, it is expected to be the “ultimate” day to view the comet.

Members of the Ames community are also getting in on the galactic show.

“You can’t miss it. One of the nice things about comets is you don’t need a lot of fancy equipment to see it. They’re kind of an every-person astronomical event,” said Ed Engle, past-president of the Ames Area Amateur Astronomers.

Engle said club members will view the comet nearly every moonless night during the months it is visible at McFarland Park. Anyone is invited to go and ask questions.

For those interested in learning more about Comet Hale-Bopp, the club is holding a public star party this Sunday, March 23 at 8 p.m. at McFarland Park.

“Our meetings are usually not that technical, [they’re] all designed to be of interest to ordinary people,” he said.

Sunday’s star party falls just one day after the comet’s closest approach to the earth, Engle said, and on Sunday night there will also be a partial eclipse of the moon. Besides the comet and the eclipse, star gazers can also see the planet Mars, which will be just 10 degrees away from the moon during the partial eclipse.

Students will also have a chance to observe the comet with ISU astronomers.

Appleton, who teaches several classes on astronomy, said astronomers at ISU will have an open house at the university observatory, Irwin Fick Observatory near Boone, on Saturday, March 29, or if it is cloudy, Sunday, March 30. The event begins at 7:30 p.m.