The best window for observing the comet occurs between March 25 and April 13. The comet should be at its brightest, and the moon will be out of the way. Look for it low in the northwest just after the sun sets and darkness begins to fall. Hale-Bopp will be smaller and dimmer than last year's Comet Hyakutake, but it should still show a long tail, especially if you're observing it from dark, rural skies. Binoculars will enhance the view and may be a necessity if you're trying to look at the comet from inside the city.
Comets are hunks of ice and dirt a few miles wide.
They orbit the sun like planets, but their path is very stretched out, like a rubber band extended to the breaking point. They start from the outer reaches of the solar system and dive down to very close to the sun. When they get very close to the sun, the heat from our day star evaporates part of their ice and pushes a long vapor tail away from the sun. They are only visible to the unaided eye during the time that these glowing gases light up the night. Get outside in late March and early April to see Comet Hale- Bopp.