Halley's Comet Is, About to Return From , the Outer Solar System.
After nearly 40 years, Halley's comet will once
again reach its furthest point from the Sun
and begin its return journey back toward Earth. .
'The Byte' reports that the comet will reach its "aphelion"
on December 9, which represents the middle point of
Halley's elliptical orbit through the solar system.
The comet was named for 18th century
English astronomer Edmond Halley. .
Halley hasn't been visible from Earth since 1986. .
In 2003, the European Southern Observatory's
Very Large Telescope captured images of the
comet on the outer edges of our solar system.
After hitting its aphelion near Jupiter,
its long journey through space will next
bring the comet past Earth in the year 2061.
'The Byte' reports that the debris from the tail
of Halley's comet is still visible from Earth
in the form of the Eta Aquariids meteor shower. .
Between late April and early May, Earth passes through
remnants of the comet, with those in the Northern
hemisphere able to see 10 to 20 meteors per hour. .
Before the end of 2023, Earth will also see the peak of
the Geminids meteor shower on December 13 and 14. .
NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke told Space.com
that this year's viewing conditions for the
meteor display are supposed to be exceptional.