Hale-Bopp above again

BANDUNG: Bandung-based Boscha Observatory has not yet seen the Hale-Bopp commet but a South Kalimantan man claims to have seen it with the naked eye.

The man, Iriano, telephoned Prof. Bambang Hidayat at the observatory to say he had seen the commet at 7:15 p.m. local time Sunday, Antara reported Monday.

Iriano said the commet could be seen in the northwest after sunset when the weather was bright.

"I am waiting for more information from Irianto. His claim may be right," Bambamng said.

Observatory researchers, Bambang, Moedji Raharto and Mochamad Irfan, a Bandung Institute of Technology astronomy student filmed the commet when it appeared in August 1995 and October 1996.

They calculated then that it would appear again between the last week of March and the end of June 1997. But the weather near the observatory has been cloudy lately.

The Hale-Bopp commet was first seen by two Americans -- Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp -- on July 23, 1995 in New Mexico and in the Arizona desert. (sur)