Halley's Comet

space · comets · astronomy · celestial events

A cosmic visitor. Halley's Comet is the only short-period comet that you can spot with your naked eye from Earth. It's made of ice, rock, and dust, and it travels through space like a giant snowball.

Returns on schedule. This comet shows up roughly every 74 to 79 years. That means it's so predictable that astronomers can plan for its arrival centuries in advance, almost like a cosmic birthday cake that returns again and again.

Last and next visit. The last time Halley's Comet came close to Earth was 1986. If you want to see it in person, you'll have to wait until 2061, so it's definitely on many people's bucket lists.

Glowing tail of ice. When Halley's Comet gets close to the sun, it heats up and releases gas and dust that form a spectacular glowing tail. This tail can stretch millions of miles across space and is what makes it so beautiful to see from Earth.

Named after an astronomer. The comet was officially named after Edmond Halley, a famous English astronomer who figured out in 1705 that the comet returns regularly. Before him, people didn't know the same comet kept coming back.