O Halley's Comet is a periodic comet that makes its passage by the planet Earth every 76 years on average. It was the British astronomer Edmond Halley (1656-1742) who first identified this property of the comet. and correctly predicted the next return date, reasons which led to the name of the comet in its homage. The last appearance of Halley's Comet took place in 1986, when it was 63 million kilometers away from Earth. According to NASA, Halley will once again be visible in the skies in the year 2061.
Read too: Neutron star — the celestial body that arises from the death of massive stars
Topics of this article
- 1 - Summary about Halley's Comet
- 2 - What was the last appearance of Halley's Comet?
- 3 - When will Halley's comet next appear?
- 4 - Characteristics of Comet Halley
- 5 - History of Halley's Comet
- 6 - Comet Halley in Brazil
- 7 - Fun Facts about Halley's Comet
Comet Halley, officially 1P/Halley, is a periodic comet whose orbit around the Sun has an average duration of 76 years.
Its periodicity was discovered by British astronomer Edmond Halley in the 18th century.
There are records of sightings of Halley's Comet since, at least, the 2nd century BC. W.
It features a rocky core, 15 kilometers long and 8 kilometers high and wide.
It only reflects 3% of the light it receives from the Sun.
The rocky fragments that break away from Halley's comet form meteor showers known as Eta Aquarids and Orionids.
The last appearance of Halley's Comet was in 1986. This passage provided new studies and discoveries about the behavior and structure of the comet.
His next appearance will take place in the year 2061.
The last appearance of Halley's Comet was in 1986.. By the end of 1985, the comet was already very close to the planet Earth, and this closer approximation took place between February and April 1986. According to data from NASA, Comet Halley was 63 million kilometers away from Earth in April of that year and was observed mainly in the Southern Hemisphere.
![Image of Halley's comet taken by ESA's Giotto probe during its close pass of Earth in 1986. [1]](/f/5d95b16a76e1e6ec9050471f9d1ec9cf.jpg)
this passage it was a great opportunity for astronomers and space agencies around the world to observe and study Halley's comet more "up close", which represented a milestone in astronomical science. ESA's Giotto probe was the vehicle that most managed to approach the comet's nucleus and produce images of its surface.
The next appearance of Halley's comet will take place in the year 2061. According to NASA, the comet will reach its closest approach to the Sun on July 27, 2061.
Do not stop now... There's more after the publicity ;)
Officially known as 1P/Halley, Comet Halley is the most famous comet in the history of astronomy. The core of this celestial body It has dimensions of 15 km by 8 km, being approximately ten times smaller than Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein, one of the largest yet identified. Also, the nucleus of Comet Halley he hasdensity of about 0.6g/cm³, which indicates the presence of a solid structure that may have pores inside.
Despite receiving sunlight, Halley's Comet only reflects 3% of all light that intercepts it. For this reason, NASA characterizes this celestial body as one of the darkest or least reflective in the Solar System.
Unlike other comets, Halley's performs a regular and well-defined orbit around the Sun, with a circumference of 12.2 billion kilometers. The orbital period of Halley's Comet is 76 years on average, having varied between 74.4 and 79.2 years over its known history. It is when it is closest to the Sun (perihelion) that we can observe its presence from the Earth's surface.
It is precisely because of this orbital movement and the appearances at a regular interval of time that Halley's comet It is classified as a periodic comet.. This characteristic is indicated in its official name by the letter P.
Return of Halley's Comet to Inner Solar System Causes Meteor Shower, a phenomenon that occurs due to the loss of material such as fragments of rock and ice from the comet's nucleus. Meteor showers from Halley's Comet occur twice a year:
Eta Aquarids: takes place between April and May. At its peak, recorded in May, it is possible to count from 10 to 30 meteors per hour.
Orionids: takes place between September and November, with a meteor peak in October. The count reaches 15 meteors per hour.
See too:Milky Way — the galaxy in which the Solar System is located
Comet Halley has been visible in the skies since the 3rd century BC. W. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), the first appearance of this celestial body took place in the year 239 a. W. Several other studies produced by Chinese astronomers and those from other parts of the world indicate the observation of Halley's comet in different periods of the Aseniority, as happened in 466 a. C., 164 a. W. and in the year 87 of the common era. Civilizations such as the Babylonians even recorded the sighting of what, centuries later, was identified as Halley's Comet.
In the Middle Ages and early Modern Ages, there was also the appearance of Halley's Comet., which has been recorded in tapestry arts, in painting, in literature, and in different astronomical studies. However, until the 18th century, there was a belief that they were separate celestial bodies and, therefore, isolated cases.
It was in 1705, with the British astronomer Edmond Halley (1656-1742), that the perception of the behavior of this comet and the understanding of these stars was transformed. Halley relied on Isaac Newton's theories of planetary motion and gravitation to calculate the orbits of comets that would have appeared in different moments of history (1531, 1607 and 1682), proposing that they were not different bodies, but a single comet. Furthermore, Edmond Halley indicated that the comet in question would make a new appearance in the year 1758, exactly 76 years after its last passage through Earth.
The astronomer's theory was confirmed in the indicated year, revolutionizing the astronomical science. The comet was named in his honor, having been the first periodic comet to be so classified. With the discovery, it was possible to identify other comets with the same characteristics as Halley's, in addition to predicting new passages of what has become the most famous comet in history.
Brazil was one of the countries where it was possible to observe Halley's comet in its last appearance. In general, this celestial body was better visualized in the Southern Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere, and many astronomers and astronomy lovers traveled to this region of the planet to better enjoy the passage of the Halley.
In Brazil, Comet Halley appeared brighter in April. Even so, the period in which it could be best observed was during the early morning. In addition, atmospheric pollution and city lights prevented the observation of the comet in many places, making the experience quite frustrating for a part of the population.
![Depiction of Halley's Comet on the Bayeux Tapestry, dating from the Middle Ages. [2]](/f/b3841ac20e190cc7a6f18a7ee34aa35a.jpg)
Has a mass of 2.2 x 1014 kg, a value that has decreased over time. The reduction in mass happens because Halley's Comet loses 1 to 3 meters of material from its core with each complete orbit around the Sun.
At one of the farthest points from the Sun (aphelion), Halley's comet passed behind the planet Neptune. This happened in the year 1948, when it was 5.27 billion kilometers away from the star.
It performs a retrograde orbit, in the opposite direction to the translation movement of the Earth and the other planets, still having an inclination of 18° in relation to the Sun.
The speed at which it moves is variable. At its furthest point from the Sun, Halley's Comet travels at approximately 0.6 km/s. At perihelion recorded in 1986, the speed was 54.55 km/s, according to NASA.
The year 2023 marks, again, the aphelion of Halley's comet and its return movement closer to the Sun, reaching the point of smallest distance in 2061.
A person can see Halley's Comet in the skies up to two times in their lifetime.
Halley's Comet is depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry, produced in England during the 11th century. The scene portrayed is from the passage of the comet in the year 1066 and precedes the invasion of England by William I, better known as William the Conqueror.
image credits
[1] ESA / MPS / Wikimedia Commons (reproduction)
[2] jorisvo / Shutterstock
By Paloma Guitarrara
Geography Teacher
Click here and learn about the characteristics of each part of a comet.
Edmond Halley, Biography of Edmond Halley, Who Was Edmond Halley, Life of Edmond Halley.
Click here and find out what a meteorite is. Understand its origin and know how to identify it. Discover also the main meteorites found in Brazil.
Learn more about the characteristics of the Solar System. Find out how it was formed and the main characteristics of the eight planets that make it up.
