On the non-observability of meteors from Comet C/1995 01 Hale-Bopp

Abstract

The possibility of observing enhanced meteoric activity, at Earth, from dust associated with C/1995 01 Hale-Bopp is investigated. We consider the nodal distribution of dust ejected from the comet during post-discovery nuclear outbursts, and we consider the hypothetical nodal distribution of meteoroids ejected from the comet during an assumed previous perihelion passage. In each case we find no reason to believe that the Earth will sample any significant numbers of C/1995 01 derived meteoroids.