This article was scanned from The Australian on Tuesday the 1st of August.

By science and technology writer, JULIAN CRlBB

THE appearance of a vast shining object out beyond Jupiter is electrifying astronomers worldwide in anticipation of what some say may prove the comet of the millennium.

The cosmic giant appears to be 1000 times larger than comet Halley, huge enough to shine in daylight as it appntaches the Earth during the next 15 months.

Initial fears that its orbit might intersect the Earth's have been discounted by the latest observations, which indicate it will turn away between us and Mars.

Astronomers say they still do not know exactty what the glowing object is - either the biggest comet yet seen or a smaller freak that is blowing off an immense cloud of frozen gases as it approaches the sun.

Designated 1995 01, the comet was spotted on July23 by amateur astronomers Alan Hale of New Mexico and Thomas Bopp, in Arizona. It is expected to take the name of Its discoverers as comet Hale-Bopp and outshine in public altention the spectacular Shoemaker-Levy collision.

Dr Duncan Steel of the Anglo Australian Observatory said last night the comet lay directly over Australia, near the constellation Sagittarius. However, attempts to study it here have been hindered by cloudy weather. It is about 140 million kilometres away from Earth and is the brightest object observed so far in the region beyond Jupiter.

Its brightness indicates either that it is large or is blowing off an enormous halo of frozen gas and ice.

"The interesting thing is that this comet is well out beyond Jupiter, where comets are usually inert," Dr Steel said.

"It could be that this is a giant new comet arriving from the Oort Cloud, never having passed into the planetary region near the sun and is rich in volatile ices like carbon dioxide, methane and ammonia which would evaporate out where it is now.

"But is is so bright it must be over 100km in size." Comet Halley is an irregular blob measuring 15km by 12km by 8km, making the newcomer 10 times the breadth and 1000 times the bulk.

Dr Steel said it was clear the comet would not strike the Earth, although when first spotted astronomers "had our hearts in our mouths since the initial orbit computations indicated (it) would pass uncomfortably close to the Earth". Harvard University astronomer Dr Brian Marsden said it was unheard of for a comet to be visible with small telescopes at such a distance. "It could become the comet of the millennium as it comes towards the sun over the next year or two." he said.

Observatories worldwide are training their instruments on he mysterious newcomer, with the AAO scheduled to make bservations over the next few nights - just to make sure the giant's orbit realty is safe.