<P> Hale--Bopp was a record - breaking comet--the farthest comet from the Sun discovered by amateurs, with the largest well - measured cometary nucleus known after 95P / Chiron, and it was visible to the naked eye for twice as long as the previous record - holder . It was also brighter than magnitude 0 for eight weeks, longer than any other recorded comet . </P> <P> Gene Shoemaker and his wife Carolyn, both famous for co-discovering comet Shoemaker--Levy 9, were involved in a car crash after photographing the comet . Gene died in the crash and his ashes were sent to the Moon along with an image of the Hale - Bopp comet, "the last comet that the Shoemakers observed together". </P>

When was a comet last seen in india