Though no longer considered to portend disasters, comets remain romantic, ethereal mysteries.
Some simple observations make their appearances all the more meaningful.
There, in the sky above him, was a new comet soon to bear his name. Hyakutake, an amateur astronomer, was bursting onto the scene as a comet finder. Roland and Mrkos in 1957. For all the joy and excitement they bring, comets are simple creatures. They have changed comparatively little since they formed, along with the rest of the solar system, about 5 billion years ago.