Halley's comet at aphelion.

[Xilman]

Comet Halley is at aphelion today. It will be getting ever brighter from now on so start planning your observing sessions!

😉

 

Paul

[SwiMatt]

Thanks for the timely heads-up... really hoping I won't miss it this time around! 😆

[RT65CB-SWL]

I will be 100 years young in 2061 

[johnturley]

I gather that the 2061 return (although its extremely unlikely that I'll be around to see it) will be another unfavourable return of the comet, unlike the favourable returns of 1910 and 1835, and possibly worse even than the 1986 return. When Halley's comet reached perihelion in February1986 it was on the far side of the sun, and to make matters worse, when at its closest and brightest, it was below the horizon from UK latitudes. I was never able to see it with the naked eye from the UK (although easily visible with binoculars), but it was an easy naked eye object from Tenerife in April 1986.

However according to the BAA's website, there are favourable signs coming from Comet Pons-Brooks, which reaches perihelion in April 2024. It is currently much brighter then predicted, and it is possible that it could reach 2nd magnitude around the time of perihelion, making it as bright, if not brighter than Halley's comet was in 1986, and moreover unlike Halley's comet, it will be quite favourably placed from UK latitudes. It will be interesting to see whether it is visible to the naked eye during the Total Solar Eclipse on 8 April 2024, which we are viewing from Mexico.

John

Edited December 9, 2023 by johnturley

[John]

I will be 101 in 2061 so probably won't see it's return. 

I'm glad that I had a decent 6 inch scope back in 1986 - it was rather dim in binoculars !

[Xilman]

9 minutes ago, John said:

I will be 101 in 2061 so probably won't see it's return. 

I'm glad that I had a decent 6 inch scope back in 1986 - it was rather dim in binoculars !

I will be 104.

The chances are not good, but still non-zero, that we will be capable of observing it.

[johnturley]

On 09/12/2023 at 13:20, johnturley said:

I gather that the 2061 return (although its extremely unlikely that I'll be around to see it) will be another unfavourable return of the comet, unlike the favourable returns of 1910 and 1835, and possibly worse even than the 1986 return. When Halley's comet reached perihelion in February1986 it was on the far side of the sun, and to make matters worse, when at its closest and brightest, it was below the horizon from UK latitudes. I was never able to see it with the naked eye from the UK (although easily visible with binoculars), but it was an easy naked eye object from Tenerife in April 1986.

 

John

Correction to my earlier post, I've looked up online more details about the 2061 return, and apparently it will be much more favourable, in particular for those in northern latitudes, than the 1986 return. According to the following article in Space.com, the comet will appear to track some 21 degrees north of the sun at perihelion, and from July 25 to July 28 2061, it will be possible to see it against the late twilight sky as both a morning and evening zero magnitude object.

Halley's Comet begins its 38-year journey back toward Earth tonight | Space

It was something I read in a book or an Astronomy magazine at the time of the 1986 return, that lead me to believe that the 2061 return would be another unfavourable one, of course back in those days there was no internet to search to obtain details of the 2061 return. Its now even more disappointing for me to know that its extremely unlikely that I will be around for the 2061 return, but something to look forward to for the younger SGL members.

John 

Edited December 10, 2023 by johnturley

[Pete Presland]

I have very fond memories of seeing it in 86, through a 4.5" Tasco reflector. Nothing particularly spectacular to the eye, but such an historic object, depicted many times though the worlds history.

Very special to have seen this as a young 20 year old, after a few weeks of looking for it using the book i bought at the time (which i still have)

The Tasco has long since departed along with many hopes and dreams, but the memories still remain of this enduring object 🙂