The Period of a Comet

A comet's period is the time it takes for it to travel around its elliptical orbit. Some comets can take only 3 years, while some can take up to 40,000 years. This was the theory that Edmund Halley became famous for. He used mathematics and physics to determine how long a comet would take to travel around its orbit. In his time, early 16th century, many people did not believe him, but his theory was justified when the appearance of a comet(now Halley's comet) filled the sky.

Image: Comet Image Credit: Encarta Encylopedia No comets have ever approached earth in a hyperbolic orbit. This would mean that it came from deep space, which is outside our solar system. Some comets never return because their orbit is shifted by the gravitational pull of larger planets. . Image of a Comet

Image: Comet Image Credit: Astrophotography-Sty's Observatory

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Created by ThinkQuest Team 23830

Last Updated August 28, 1998.

All images, unless otherwise credited, are credit of M. Mathis, 1998.