Browsing: Halley’s Comet

Halley’s Comet is a well-known short-period comet, identifiable by astronomers since at least 240 BC, but it wasn’t until 1705 that English astronomer Edmond Halley predicted its periodic return. He noted that the comets observed in 1531, 1607, and 1682 had very similar orbits and suggested they were the same object, predicting it would return in 1758. Halley’s Comet has a current orbital period of about 76 years, with its last appearance in the inner solar system in 1986 and its next expected return in 2061. The comet is composed of a nucleus of ice, dust, and rocky materials, and is famous for producing spectacular bright comas and tails when it approaches the sun, as solar radiation causes the comet’s materials to vaporize and stream out into space, reflecting sunlight. Its predictability and visible displays from Earth have made it a fixture in both scientific study and popular culture.