Hyakutake Comet
CategoryComet
SystemSolar System
Diameter4.2 km
Orbital Period17000 years
About Hyakutake Comet
The Great Comet of 1996, discovered by amateur Yuji Hyakutake with binoculars. Passed within 15 million km of Earth, appearing huge in the sky. Its tail stretched about 570 million km, the longest ever measured. The Ulysses spacecraft unexpectedly crossed its distant ion tail. Revealed X-ray emission from comets for the first time.
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