On December 9, Halley's Comet, officially known as 1P/Halley, began its journey from the far end of its orbit back toward the Sun. This space object is of particular interest, as its appearance in the sky always attracts the attention of astronomers and astronomy lovers.
Comet 1P/Halley moves around the Sun in a flattened elliptical orbit. Note that the comet will pass by the Earth on June 19, 2061. This time it will be able to be observed by residents of the Northern Hemisphere, which promises to be a spectacular phenomenon in the morning sky.
On December 9, 2023, the comet reached aphelion, the far end of its orbit, at a distance of 5.26 billion kilometers from the Sun. According to Kepler's second law, a celestial body moves fastest when it is at perihelion and slowest at aphelion. After reaching aphelion, Halley's comet's orbital speed will begin to increase as it heads toward the Sun.
Scientists note that the year 2061 will be special because the comet will be on the same side of the Sun as Earth. This makes it visible for observation and will result in an appearance at least ten times brighter than the previous passage in 1986.
