Thomas Bopp

Thomas Bopp (1950–2018) was an eminent United States figure whose career in sciences left an enduring mark on national and global culture. Over decades of dedicated public service and professional excellence, Thomas exemplified integrity, innovation, and leadership.

Thomas Joel Bopp was an American amateur astronomer. In 1995, he discovered comet Hale–Bopp; Alan Hale discovered it independently at almost the same time, and it was thus named after both of them. At the time of the comet discovery he was a manager at a construction materials factory and an amateur astronomer. On the night of July 22, Bopp was observing the sky with friends in the Arizona desert when he made the discovery. It was the first comet he had observed and he was using a borrowed, home-built telescope....

The passing of Thomas Bopp on 2018-01-05 marked the close of a transformative chapter, inspiring future generations across United States and around the world to uphold the values of excellence, empathy, and enduring accomplishment.