Halley's Comet

[Josh Wilson]

With the Orionids meteor shower peaking tonight/tomorrow morning, and the meteors coming from debris of Halley's Comet, I'm curious as to whether or not Halley's comet will be visible tonight or tomorrow. If so, where and what magnitude will it be?

I have high hopes for the Orionids tonight too, I've never seen a complete meteor shower yet, just bits and pieces of lesser know meteor showers.

[brantuk]

Halleys comet last came round in 1986 and it only comes round every 76 years (give or take a couple). But there's plenty of other comets available a lot of the time which are just as fascinating. The only difference is they're mostly not naked eye and require a scope to see them.

[mert]

I saw Halley's Comet from The Royal Observatory in Edinburgh in 1986, they had a visitors week, that's what kick started my interest into astronomy when I was a kid, cant believe it was 26 years ago

[Pete Presland]

i also saw Halley's comet in 1986 a great experience even if it wasn't that spectacular to the eye.

[John]

I saw Halleys in 1986 too. Luckily I'd just bought my first proper scope back then, a 6" F/6 newtonian, so I was able to see at least something of the comet and share the view with my wife. It was not too impressive though ......

[bish]

Bit gutted that I missed Halleys in 1986. I was 16 and my interest in astronomy had taken a bit of a back seat to the usual teenage boy stuff.

[atmenterprises]

I remember my dad waking me up at something like 4 AM to see it. As I recall it spanned what I remember to be a fairly significant portion of the sky. But I was a sleepy teenager back in those days.

[atmenterprises]

I remember my dad waking me up at something like 4 AM to see it. As I recall it spanned what I remember to be a fairly significant portion of the sky. But I was a sleepy teenager back in those days.

[John]

I remember my dad waking me up at something like 4 AM to see it. As I recall it spanned what I remember to be a fairly significant portion of the sky. But I was a sleepy teenager back in those days.

That must have been a different comet - Halley was just a hazy blob even with a scope !

It might have been Comet West which was, apparently, really spectacular but that was a decade before Halley's return

[atmenterprises]

It was Halley but - like I said - I was a sleepy teenager. I remember quite a long tail on that thing and even a curve to the tail.

Surely I can't be losing my mind already? I'm too young for that!

[John]

Surely I can't be losing my mind already? I'm too young for that!

You might be

This is from the Wikipedia entry on the 1986 appearance of Halleys comet:

"Halley's 1986 apparition was the least favorable on record. The comet and the Earth were on opposite sides of the Sun in February 1986, creating the worst viewing circumstances for Earth observers for the last 2,000 years. Halley's closest approach was 0.42 AU. Additionally, with increased light pollution from urbanization, many people never saw the comet at all. It was possible to observe it in areas outside of cities with the help of binoculars. Further, the comet appeared brightest when it was almost invisible from the northern hemisphere in March and April....."

My notes from back then said that we were just able to pick the comet up with 7x50 binoculars but the 6 inch scope was needed for any sort of decent view and even then my wifes comment was "is that it then ?"

[Sam]

I wasn't expecting a post about Halley's Comet for another 50 years or so. I remember it as being quite underwhelming but through some old binds it looked quite impressive. It was quite small with a bright core and a short tail.

[Pete Presland]

i remember finding it in Aquarius i think, using my long since departed tasco 4 1/2" reflector.while it wasn't a really spectacular view, it was still trully amazing to witness a object that has been recorded by man (or woman ) through much of our history! Halley's has been observed and recorded since at least 240 bc, roll on 2061

i think can vaguely remember its return first being spotted around 1982 by the mount palomar telescope.

[lukebl]

I remember it from '86. Not impressive but, hey, it was THE Halley's Comet!

It's currently around 5000 Million Kilometres away, in the constellation of Hydra, and reaches aphelion in 2023, and at a current magnitude 28 is a bit tricky!

[lukebl]

Aah the days before cameras. Sorry, I was in a reverie imagining those Norman embroiderers complaining about the cloud so they they could catch a few more weaves of the comet!

[universal]

That must have been a different comet - Halley was just a hazy blob even with a scope !

It might have been Comet West which was, apparently, really spectacular but that was a decade before Halley's return

Could it have been the comet Halle Boppe (probably spelt incorrectly) - that one was amazing, large and very easily visible in the night sky with the naked eye?

[Mr Q]

Josh - See my thread below (OCT 2012 Comets) which I update each month. With an 8" scope you should be able to see some of the brighter ones listed and find them by clicking on each comet's "finder chart". For your scope size and with moderately dark skies (5th mag. or fainter near the zenith), you should be able to see some listed at up to 10-11th mag. when they are high in the sky.

The Orionids are produced from the debris left by Haley's last passage through the solar system as the Earth passes through the original path the comet took. All major meteor showers are the results of these debris trails left from the associated comet's earlier passage.

But do realize that most telescopic comets have little details other than a glowing nucleus and possibly a short tail (its coma). So though most are not visible to the unaided eye, they are fun to observe with a telescope after a bit of a challenge locating them.