HALLEY’S COMET By:

Kaydi Kochi and Kain Masutani

Discovered

Identified by Edmond Halley in 1705 using Newton’s Laws of Motion

Predicted that a comet seen in 1531, 1607, and 1682 would also be seen in 1758

Prediction turned out true and comet was named in honor of Edmond Halley

History

Seen throughout human history Seen in 1066 when King Harold was

overthrown by William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings, Halley's comet appeared in Bayeux Tapestry which chronicles the event

In 1456, on a return passage, Halley's comet was excommunicated as an agent of the devil by Pope Calixtus III

Orbit

Halley's comet is a big mass of ice and dust and has an elliptical orbit

It has a highly elongated orbit, taking it very close to the Sun and then gets flung into the outer solar system

Orbits in retrograde, opposite of planets rotation, and inclined 18 degrees to the ecliptic

Orbit Period

Average period of Halley's Comet's orbit is 76 years

Not always 76 years due to gravity from other bodies in the solar system which affect its orbit

Over the centuries, Halley's orbital period has varied from 76 years to 79.3 years

Next appearance in 2061

Facts

Composed of water, hydrocarbons, iron, carbon monoxide, methane, ammonia, and sodium.

About 4.5 Billion years old The comet is estimated to measure

between 7 - 10 kilometers wide with a length of 15 kilometers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8zV1xiGqf4

Works Cited

 Greene, Nick. "Halley's Comet - Some History and Facts About Halley's Comet." Space & Astronomy at About.com. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. <http://space.about.com/od/comets/a/halleyscomet.htm>.

Magar, Prashant. "Facts about Halley's Comet." Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/facts-about-halleys-comet.html

Peterson, Sam. "Halley's Comet." Windows to the Universe. 19 Mar. 2008. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. <http://www.windows2universe.org/comets/Halleys_comet.html>.

Williams, Yona. "16 Facts About Halley's Comet." Unexplainable.Net- UFOS, Ghosts, Paranormal, 2012 And More- Latest News. 7 July 2009. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. <http://www.unexplainable.net/artman/publish/article_13247.shtml>.