Editing Comet Hale–Bopp (section)

== After perihelion ==
After its perihelion passage, the comet moved into the [[southern celestial hemisphere]]. The comet was much less impressive to [[southern hemisphere]] observers than it had been in the northern hemisphere, but southerners could see the comet gradually fade from view during the second half of 1997. The last naked-eye observations were reported in December 1997, which meant that the comet had remained visible without aid for 569&nbsp;days, or about {{frac|18|1|2}} months.{{r|Kidger_2004}} The previous record had been set by the [[Great Comet of 1811]], which was visible to the naked eye for about 9 months.{{r|Kidger_2004}}

The comet continued to fade as it receded, but was still tracked by astronomers. In October 2007, 10 years after the perihelion and at a distance of 25.7 [[Astronomical unit|au]] from the Sun, the comet was still active as indicated by the detection of the CO-driven coma.{{r|Szabó_2008}} [[Herschel Space Observatory]] images taken in 2010 suggest comet Hale–Bopp is covered in a fresh frost layer.{{r|Szabó_2012}} Hale–Bopp was again detected in December 2010 when it was 30.7&nbsp;AU away from the Sun,{{r|Szabó_2011}} and in 2012, at 33.2&nbsp;AU from the Sun.{{r|Herald_2012}} The [[James Webb Space Telescope]] observed Hale–Bopp in 2022, when it was 46.2&nbsp;AU from the Sun.{{r|MPEC_2022-S20}}