2y ago

Happy Halley's Comet aphelion! This seems worthy of solar punk appreciation.

Nov 3 2023 marks the furthest Halley's comet will be from Earth before making the turn-around trip back.

15 comments

Cool! I actually might be able to see it twice in my lifetime. I thought I'd only have seen it the one time.
- The trick is to not die.
  
  Never done it yet. No plan to start now.
  
  That seems extraordinarily high cost/low reward if I'm being completely honest.
I remember watching it when it reached closest approach back in the 80s. Here's hoping I can live to 95 and see it come back again
- I had gotten a small telescope for Christmas or birthday that year and it came with an infographic poster all about Halley's Comet and I was super excited, then I promptly forgot all about it until several months after it passed. I'll have my redemption in 2061!
  I suspect it would've been a disappointing experience with that cheap little telescope. I have a telescope now that's like 6-10 times the size and it's still impossible to find the comets that come by. I'm sure by 2061 I'll have a much larger one with computer controlled alignment and whatnot...
When's my Hale Bop coming back? That shit was incredible. It was a whole new, bright, giant fixture in the night sky.
- You're going to have to wait until the year 4531 for that :(
It must be so lonely out there. :(
- But think of all the stories it will have when it comes back!
I feel like it's technically the opposite since aphelion is the point at which it's as far as gravity will let it get from solar lol
Except Halley's Comet's aphelion is on December 9, 2023.
- Except your comment and the post seem to exist in different frames of reference.
  
  The title of the post incorrectly states that the comet would be at its aphelion (point of the orbit farthest from the Sun) today. Then it proceeds to talk about the comet being farthest from the Earth today. Two different claims, of which at least the former is wrong.
  Edit: Both are wrong. Checked stellarium and the comet was farthest from Earth in June.

15 comments