Editing Comet Hale–Bopp (section)

== Legacy ==
[[File:ESO-Comet Hale-Bopp-Phot-07a-01-hires.jpg|thumb|right| Comet Hale–Bopp in 2001, at a distance of nearly two billion kilometres from the Sun. Credit: [[ESO]]]]
Its lengthy period of visibility and extensive coverage in the media meant that Hale–Bopp was probably the most-observed comet in history, making a far greater impact on the general public than the return of [[Comet Halley|Halley's Comet]] in 1986, and certainly seen by a greater number of people than witnessed any of Halley's previous appearances. For instance, 69% of Americans had seen Hale–Bopp by April 9, 1997.{{r|Aguirre_1997}}

Hale–Bopp was a record-breaking comet{{snd}}the farthest comet from the Sun discovered by amateurs,{{r|jpl5}} with the largest well-measured cometary nucleus known after [[95P/Chiron]],{{r|Fernandez_2002}} and it was visible to the naked eye for twice as long as the previous record-holder.{{r|Kidger_2004}} It was also brighter than magnitude&nbsp;0 for eight&nbsp;weeks, longer than any other recorded comet.{{r|jpl5}}

[[Carolyn S. Shoemaker|Carolyn Shoemaker]] and her husband [[Eugene Merle Shoemaker|Gene]], co-discoverers of [[comet Shoemaker–Levy 9]], were involved in a car crash after photographing the comet. Gene died in the crash and his ashes were sent to the Moon aboard NASA's ''[[Lunar Prospector]]'' mission along with an image of Hale–Bopp, "the last comet that the Shoemakers observed together".{{r|jpl3}}

Composer Dmitry Kayukin created the music album ''Comet 97'' based on his memories of observing Comet Hale–Bopp.{{r|Kayukin_2023}}