What Do You Know About Halley's Comet?
What is the official name of Halley's Comet?
- Edmond Halley was the first astronomer to theorize that Halley's Comet was actually only one body, not several individual comets, so the object was named after him.
What was an important discovery about comets brought about by Halley's Comet?
- Due to the recurring path of Halley's Comet, scientists have realized that the sun can also be orbited by these entities— not just planets!
When was the first known observation of Halley's Comet?
- The European Space Agency has found evidence of Chinese astronomers who observed and recorded the path of Halley's Comet in the "Shih Chi".
Before which battle did Halley's Comet famously appear in the sky?
- Featured on the Bayeux Tapestry, the appearance of Halley's Comet coincided with the Norman invasion of England in 1066.
The last sighting of Halley's Comet was in which year?
- This was also the first year when the Comet was able to be studied by spacecraft.
What year is the next sighting of Halley's Comet projected to be in?
- The next flyby to be performed by Halley's Comet is still a few decades away!
Which famous writer was born and later died as Halley's Comet passed by Earth?
- Interestingly, Twain predicted that he would die the year the Comet would reappear, after also being born in 1835 when it was present.
Approximately how large is the orbital circumference of Halley's Comet?
- At around 7.6 billion miles or 12.2 billion kilometers, this is certainly a very large comet area!
What year did Edmond Halley first predict Halley's Comet to reappear in?
- Sadly, Halley passed away before he could see the comet that would be named after him reappear.
What is special about Halley's Comet's orbit?
- With a tilted plane of 18 degrees to that of Earth's orbit, the orbit of Halley's Comet moves opposite to our planet's motion.
