Alan Hale (1958-2026) – Sky & Telescope

Greatest recognized for his co-discovery of Comet Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1) in July 1995, Hale was launched to cometary observing by an article on Comet Tago-Sato-Kosaka (C/1969 T1) within the February 1970 subject of Sky & Telescope. After observing it in his 4½-inch Sears refractor after which seeing Comet Bennett (C/1969 Y1) two months later, Hale was hooked.

Hale graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy’s physics program in 1980 and served for 3 years earlier than becoming a member of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the place he labored on the Deep Area Community for an additional three years. He then went on to get a PhD in astronomy from New Mexico State College in 1992. Throughout this time (1991), Eugene and Carolyn Shoemaker named the asteroid 4151 Alanhale, in recognition of Hale’s cautious visible comet observations.

Upon commencement, Hale found that astronomical alternatives had been restricted. So he based the nonprofit Southwest Institute for Area Analysis in 1993 (now Earthrise Institute). Using astronomy to interrupt down intercultural boundaries, the corporate works to encourage international training and foster higher alternatives for early-career astronomers.

By this time, a long time of scanning the skies had brought on Hale to surrender hope of discovering his personal comet. Recognizing his skilled and familial obligations, Hale had stopped spending his nights trying to find new comets, however he nonetheless held true to his aim of observing each comet he presumably might in his lifetime.

One fateful night time in 1995, he had simply completed observing Comet 71P/Clark and determined to glimpse just a few globular clusters in Sagittarius whereas ready for Comet 6P/d’Arrest to rise above the horizon. As he targeted in on M70, he seen a faint, diffuse object — a comet that will place his identify in astronomical historical past books alongside Thomas Bopp’s.

Checking his star charts, his e-mail, and the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (CBAT), Hale absolutely anticipated to seek out that another person had already found the comet he’d spied. On discovering all three databases devoid of any point out of a comet close to M70, he despatched an e-mail to the CBAT group notifying them about his discovery.

On the identical time, one other beginner astronomer, Thomas Bopp, had spied the fuzzy smudge in his buddy’s telescope, whereas observing from south of Phoenix, Arizona. In line with Hale, spotty cell service compelled Bopp to drive all the best way dwelling to ship a telegram to the CBAT group — who had been shocked to obtain an precise telegram. So Hale’s e-mail arrived first, receiving first billing on the comet, nevertheless it’s unclear who noticed the comet first.

The 2 co-discoverers didn’t meet in individual till years later, however their names will perpetually be inextricably linked to one of many biggest comet discoveries in trendy instances. By the point Comet Hale-Bopp brightened to magnitude -1 close to perihelion in April 1997, the 2 observers had grow to be in a single day sensations.

Alan Hale went on to provide many lectures and interviews, train quite a few on-line courses, and write numerous articles and two columns for each newspapers and magazines (together with in Sky & Telescope, the journal that impressed him a long time prior), in addition to three books: Everyone’s Comet : A Layman’s Information to Comet Hale-Bopp (1996), Nice Balls of Ice: A Century of Comets (2002), and The Comet Man: A Memoir (2015). From 2004-2006 he additionally hosted a weekly radio program referred to as “The Different Facet of the Sky.” As a part of the Earthrise Institute’s initiatives, he accomplished two of what he referred to as “science diplomacy expeditions” to Iran in 1999 and 2000 and a 3rd to Zimbabwe (2001) to foster international comradery and scientific literacy.

Since 2020, Hale was working with Global Sky Partners to picture comets and asteroids from the Las Cumbres Observatory; he additionally continued his advocacy work as president of the Earthrise Institute. Sadly, numerous age-associated well being points compelled him to retire from common visible comet observing as of 2025. In line with the final rely on the Earthrise website, he noticed 533 separate comets in his lifetime. He’s survived by his spouse Vickie Stone Moseley Hale, his two sons Zachary and Tyler, and three grandchildren.