Astronomer Alan Hale, Hale-Bopp Co-Discoverer, Dies
Astronomer Alan Hale, co-discoverer of Hale-Bopp, has died (June 6, 2026). His work helped make one of the most observed comets of the 20th century a global spectacle, visible to the naked eye for about 18 months after its 1997 perihelion; tributes from friend Leonard David and Hale’s wife Vickie reflect a life spent looking up at the skies.