• Question: when is Halley's comet next due? will I be able to view it?

    Asked by eshanip1017 to Alan, Nick on 21 Mar 2014.
    • Photo: Alan Fitzsimmons

      Alan Fitzsimmons answered on 21 Mar 2014:

      Halley’s comet takes 76 years to go once around the Sun. It was last here in 1986, so it’s not going to be back until the year 2062! So you’ll be 48 years older than you are today, but you should be able to see it easily. Unfortunately it won’t get too close to Earth so it won’t be very bright. But there will probably be a few much brighter comets in the sky between now and then!

      When Halley’s comet comes around the time after that in the year 2138, it will pass close to the Earth and get very bright! I wish I was alive to see it, but I won’t be 🙁

    • Photo: Nick Wright

      Nick Wright answered on 21 Mar 2014:

      Good question, I think its due in 2062 because it has a 76 year orbit and it was last here in 1986. Comets can be really great to see in the sky, as they can sometimes be quite bright and they can be seen for many nights in a row. I’m sure there will be many other comets that you could see before Halley’s comet next comes around!

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