Clouds spoiling the comet show

SKY watchers and astronomers hoping for a view of the comet Hale Bopp as it reached its closest point to Earth on Saturday night…

SKY watchers and astronomers hoping for a view of the comet Hale Bopp as it reached its closest point to Earth on Saturday night were let down by that most unreliable phenomenon, Irish weather.

Close cloud cover affecting most parts of the country, blocked our collective view as the comet hurtled through space at 27 miles a second, over 122 million miles from Earth.

A spokeswoman for Met Eireann said that while cloud cover was heavy over most parts of the country, with the northern part worst affected, Cork and west Cork in particular, had good breaks in the cloud between 10 p.m. and midnight.

The comet has been plainly visible in Cork for the past few nights, coming into view in the north western sky at dusk last Thursday. Hundreds of people have been using high vantage points around Cork city to get a once in their lifetime view.

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The visitation of the comet, coupled with a lunar eclipse last night, meant the comet was easily visible for an extra hour. According to Astronomy Ireland, the almost total eclipse led to darker skies in which the comet looked more spectacular.

A statement from Astronomy Ireland says the "comet of the century" came closest to Earth on Saturday night when it made its way across the sky 122 million miles away, although visibility will be greatest on April 1st as Hale Bopp moves closer to the sun.

With a diameter of between 40 and 70 kilometres, the giant comet is not a regular visitor to these parts and won't be back for another 4,400 years.

A spokes man for Dunsink Observatory, Mr Bill Dumpleton, said the comet will, be around for another four weeks.

"I saw the comet myself through a break in the cloud on Saturday night and it was looking very well. We've had hundreds of calls from all over the country from people who've seen it," said Mr Dumpleton. He said one caller likened the, double tailed comet to a giant aircraft with headlights.

The comet appears motionless to the naked eye. Astronomy Ireland recommends using binoculars for a closer view.

Over the next few weeks the comet can best be seen between 8 p.m. and 10p.m. above the north western horizon and between 4.30 a.m. and 5 a.m. above the north eastern horizon.

Hale Bopp spotters in the eastern part of the country will do best tonight. According to Met Eireann, the eastern counties will generally be less cloudy.