What comet was visible in the early 2000s?
Comet Hale–Bopp
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Eccentricity | 0.995086 |
| Orbital period | 2520–2533 yr (Barycentric 2391 yr) |
| Inclination | 89.4° |
| Dimensions | 40–80 km |
What year will Comet Hale-Bopp return?
circa 4380 CE
The current estimate is circa 4380 CE. Hale-Bopp’s orbital period was altered due to the gravitational effects of approaching Jupiter as closely as 0.77AU (1 AU = average distance between earth and sun) in April 1996.
When was Comet Hale-Bopp last seen?
around 4,200 years ago
The orbit of Comet Hale-Bopp It’s been calculated that Hale-Bopp was last seen in Earth’s skies around 4,200 years ago. Now, though, the comet’s orbit is shorter. Astronomers think that – on what might’ve been its first voyage around the sun thousands of years ago – the comet almost collided with Jupiter.
How close did Hale-Bopp come to Earth?
about 120 million miles
According to NASA, Hale-Bopp’s closest approach to Earth occurred on March. 22, 1997, at a distance of about 120 million miles (193 million kilometers). (By comparison, the sun is 93 million miles, or 150 million km, from Earth).
What would happen if Hale-Bopp hit Earth?
The energy released by a Hale-Bopp-sized impact would boil the oceans and vaporise rock. Earth’s surface would be sterilised. The only possible refuge would lie deep inside our planet, currently home to hardy bacteria and archaea. If life survived down there, maybe in time it could reseed the surface.
How old is Hailey comet?
Halley may have been recorded as early as 467 BC, but this is uncertain. A comet was recorded in ancient Greece between 468 and 466 BC; its timing, location, duration, and associated meteor shower all suggest it was Halley.
Where is Hailey comet now?
Halley’s Comet is currently slightly further east close to bright star Procyon. That’s where it is in the night sky, but of course Halley’s Comet is not as far as any star. It’s in what’s called the Kuiper Belt, the outer Solar System beyond the orbit of Neptune and Pluto.