Does Hale-Bopp Have an Atmosphere?

No, Hale-Bopp does not have a traditional atmosphere like planets do. However, as a comet, it does have a coma, which is a cloud of gas and dust that surrounds the nucleus of the comet. This coma forms when the comet gets close to the Sun and the ice within it sublimates, releasing gas and dust.

The coma can give the appearance of an atmosphere, but it is not bound by gravity like the atmospheres of planets. Instead, it is a temporary feature that exists due to the comet’s activity as it travels through the solar system. Hale-Bopp, in particular, was observed to have a large and bright coma when it passed close to the Sun in the late 1990s, contributing to its visibility from Earth.

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