Alan Hale

Alan Hale achieved worldwide recognition when Comet Hale-Bopp blazed over the skies of Earth during the early months of 1997, becoming the most widely-viewed comet in history. Although he is primarily known for his discovery of this comet, Dr. Hale is a professional scientist with a Ph.D. in astronomy and has studied, among other subjects, the threat posed by near-Earth asteroids and the detecting of planets around other stars. Dr. Hale is an outspoken advocate of improved science education and the fostering of critical thinking skills, and he is also involved in efforts to promote an expanded human presence in space. His book about Comet Hale-Bopp, Everybody's Comet, was highly acclaimed, and he has also written numerous magazine articles and in addition authors a weekly newspaper column on astronomy and space. In his talks, which he delivers to a wide variety of audiences, Dr. Hale draws not only upon his experiences as a comet discoverer, but also upon his previous work as a Deep Space Network engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and his day-to-day efforts to enhance our scientific knowledge, as he describes the challenges and opportunities awaiting humanity as we enter the 21st Century.