Comet Halley

This photograph was taken in 1986 during comet Halley’s most recent pass through the inner solar system. This picture’s main focus is the white streak running approximately through the center of the photo, which is in fact comet Halley; this photo is extremely impressive considering how clear this picture is with the lack of technology, compared to today’s developments, scientist’s had back in the 1980s. Comet Halley happens to be the most recognized comet in history, even though, in comparison to comet Hyakutake, Halley is only 1/10^th the brightness that Hyakutake showed. Halley is the most famous comet because it returns every 76 years, “and each time the nucleus sheds about 6 meters of ice and rock into space;” these scattered fragments falling to Earth result in an orbiting trail, which is called Orionids Meteor Shower (Bonnell and Nemiroff). Billions of stars are orbiting our Milky Way but only a handful come close enough for us to see making comet Halley seem even more spectacular. While looking at the picture I can see the comet, but I wonder what the orbiting trail (Orionids Meteor Shower) looks like in a picture since it is not shown here. Also, since this picture was taken a while ago, I was wondering if when we look at it, it actually looks like this because it is a snapshot of moving objects so it is bound to look a bit contorted.

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap961210.html

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap971003.html

Jeanne Chrisanthopoulos