| Recorded Observations of Comet Halley |
"Long-Haired Stars"
To the ancient Greeks, these travelers from the outer solar system were known as "hairy stars," from which comes our present word comet. Records of comet observations exist in the historic writings of many cultures. Although detailed European records of Comet Halley extend back only to 1456, Chinese observations in 240 B.C. may be the first listings of Halley in recorded history. Earliest Observations Using computer models of Comet Halley's motions and the perturbing effects of the planets, scientists have traced back the passages of the comet. Such predicted times of the comet's appearances can then be checked by looking at historical records of many cultures. |
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| 1986 1910 1835 1759 1682 1607 1531 1456 1378 1301 1222 1145 1066 989 912 837 760 684 607 530 451 374 295 218 141 66 A.D. 12 B.C. 87 164 240 |
Comet Halley in 1910. |
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Historical Records
|| Origin & Orbits || Anatomy
of a Comet || Comet Observations
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Comet || Spacecraft Encounters
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