The most anxiously awaited astronomical event of 1997 is the close passage to Sun of Comet Hale-Bopp, discovered in July, 1995. Hale-Bopp was mentioned in this space last year, but was upstaged in 1996 by the discovery of another comet, Hyakutake, that provided the most spectacular views of a comet since Comet West visited the inner solar system in 1976. Hale-Bopp is closest to Earth on March 22 and closest to Sun on March 31 eastern time. Although it will be about 13 times as far from Earth as was Hyakutake, its much greater size -- with a nucleus 10 to 40 kilometers in diameter compared with Hyakutake's 1 to 3 -- is expected to make this spring's comet appear as spectacular as last spring's. Look for it in the early morning sky from now until April, moving along the Milky Way, and in the evening sky from mid-March until the end of May as it moves through Andromeda and Perseus into Taurus.

        Two solar and two lunar eclipses occur this year but we shall be able to witness only one. A partial lunar eclipse will be visible to us on the night of March 23. Maximum obscuration of Moon's disk will take place at 11:39 p.m. when 92.4% of Moon's diameter is covered by the umbra of Earth's shadow. The other lunar eclipse is total but is visible only in Asia and Europe on Sept. 16. A total solar eclipse is visible from Mongolia, Siberia, and Manchuria on March 8 and a partial solar eclipse will be seen from New Zealand and Australia on Sept. 2. There are also a series of lunar occultations of Saturn this year, but none is visible in our night sky. Moon continues to pass through the Hyades star cluster this year, occulting some of its members, and there are several occultations of Aldebaran, the brightest star ever occulted by Moon. Only two are visible to us. Aldebaran, the "Eye" of Taurus, is a foreground star rather than a member of the Hyades and is occulted at Moon's bright limb on the morning of Oct. 19 and at Moon's dark limb (with Moon nearly at full phase) just after midnight of Dec.  13.

        Only Saturn is visible in the evening sky by the end of January, and it disappears into the glow of setting Sun by March. Mars is currently moving into the evening sky and reaches opposition in mid-March. Saturn and Jupiter join Mars in the evening sky during the summer. Venus, visible low in the morning sky now, moves into the evening sky in April and sets about 1 1/2 hours after Sun until the end of September. In December it sets about 3 hours after Sun, but is never up more than about 25 degrees at sunset. Mercury has 3 greatest eastern elongations, visible in the evening sky, and 3 greatest western elongations, visible in the morning sky, this year. As every year, the evening apparition near the end of March and beginning of April is your best chance to see this planet in the evening sky and September is the best time to see Mercury in the morning sky.

        Moon's phase is waxing crescent around the peak of the Perseid meteor shower on Aug. 12, but since it is only just past first quarter, several hours of darkness will be available for watching this most dependable of the meteor showers in the best viewing hours before dawn.

        The WVU Physics Department's Tomchin Planetarium is presenting "The Voyager Encounters" at 7, 8, and 9 p.m. on the second and fourth Fridays of each month through June, 1997. These presentations are free and open to the public. Because there is limited seating in the Planetarium, reservations are required. Call 293-3422, Ext. 1443, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on week-days. The Observatory will be open beginning at 8:00 p.m. on the same evenings, if it is clear, for public viewing. No reservations are necessary for the Observatory.

        We wish you clear skies and dark nights for 1997.