Halley's Comet Returns ... in Bits and Pieces. The annual Orionid meteor shower peaks this weekend on October 21st.
Listen to this story via streaming audio, a downloadable file, or get help. Oct. 17, 2001: Next Sunday, try doing something out of the ordinary: Wake up at 3 a.m. Put on warm clothes. Step outside. Look up. If the skies are cloudy, go back to bed. "It's the annual Orionid meteor shower," explains Bill Cooke, a member of the Space Environments team at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Above: Artist Duane Hilton created this picture of an Orionid meteor streaking over a clump of golden aspens near Bishop, California.
The Orionids -- so named because they appear to streak out of a point (called the radiant) in the constellation Orion -- will peak on Sunday morning, October 21st. Finding the Orionid radiant is easy. But don't stare directly at the radiant, say experienced meteor watchers. The October Orionids are cousins of the eta Aquarids -- a mostly southern hemisphere meteor shower in May. And fast. Web Links More. Hallyscomet09. Meteors from Halley's Comet. Meteors from Halley's Comet April 27, 2011: Looking for an adventure?
Get up in the wee hours of the morning May 6th and head out into the country, far from the city lights. You won't be alone. The birds will be up and singing about the coming dawn, and, of course, about the eta Aquarid meteor shower. The eta Aquarids are best viewed from the southern hemisphere, but there's something special about them no matter where you live: "Each eta Aquarid meteoroid is a piece of Halley's Comet doing a kamikaze death dive into the atmosphere," explains NASA astronomer Bill Cooke. Halley's Comet and its history. This article talks about Halley's Comet .
Comet Halley, as it is also called, is perhaps the most famous of all comets. In 1705, the English astronomer, Edmond Halley used Isaac Newton’s new theory on gravitation to learn more about comets. He wanted to determine the orbits of comets by using their recorded positions in the sky as markers of time. He discovered that the comets of 1531, 1607, and 1682 all had the similar brightness and almost the exact same orbits.
After figuring out the gravitational influences on the cometary orbits from Jupiter and Saturn, he predicted that all of these appearances had been from the same comet. Edmond Halley Just as predicted, Halley's Comet passed again in 1758 but Edmond Halley had died in 1742 and never got the chance to see it. Ancient Appearances In 240 BC and earlier, records show that Chinese astronomers saw the comet appear from as early as 467 BC. In 87 BC, V.G. Halley's Comet. Halley's Comet or Comet Halley (/ˈhæli/ or /ˈheɪli/), officially designated 1P/Halley,[2] is the best-known of the short-period comets and is visible from Earth every 75–76 years,[2][10] Halley is the only short-period comet that is clearly visible to the naked eye from Earth, and the only naked-eye comet that might appear twice in a human lifetime.[11] Other naked-eye comets may be brighter and more spectacular, but will appear only once in thousands of years.
Halley last appeared in the inner Solar System in 1986 and will next appear in mid-2061.[12] Halley's returns to the inner Solar System have been observed and recorded by astronomers since at least 240 BC. Clear records of the comet's appearances were made by Chinese, Babylonian, and medieval European chroniclers, but were not recognized as reappearances of the same object at the time. The comet's periodicity was first determined in 1705 by English astronomer Edmond Halley, after whom it is now named. Hallyscomet02. Hallyscomet03. Lucas. Halley's Comet: Facts About the Most Famous Comet. An image of Halley's Comet taken in 1986.
CREDIT: NASA Halley's Comet is arguably the most famous comet. It is a "periodic" comet and returns to Earth's vicinity about every 75 years, making it possible for a human to see it twice in his or her lifetime. The last time it was here was in 1986, and it is projected to return in 2061.
The comet is named after English astronomer Edmond Halley, who examined reports of a comet approaching Earth in 1531, 1607 and 1682. Hallyscomet04. Minecraft2. Lucas & radj barrle. Lucas radj surfing 2. Radj and lucas. Lucas radj surfing. Halley’s Comet for Kids – Every 76 Years « Comets - Astronomy for Kids! Radj. Hallyscomet02.
Fun Comet Facts for Kids - Halley’s Comet, Shoemaker-Levy 9, Interesting Info. Hallyscomet01. Ask an Astronomer for KIDS! - When will Halley's comet return?