Where is the best place to view Halleys Comet?
First of all, it depends on where you are located and when the comet is in view. Don’t forget, Halley’s Comet has a 76 year orbit — it was last here in 1986 and won’t be back again until 2061 — that’s about 57 years from now. Each time it returns, it approaches the vicinity of Earth differently. When it was here in 1985 and 1986, it was very faint, and the best view was from the southern hemisphere. When a comet returns, because it orbits the Sun, you get two chances to see it, once on its way in (as it approaches the vicinity of the Earth and the Sun) and once on its way out (as it leaves the vicinity of the Sun and Earth). Thus, in 1985 it was best visible in November and December on the way in, and then it was visible again in March and April, 1986 on its way out. It is now (March, 2004) approaching the orbit of Neptune on its way to outer space, and will begin its return towards the Sun in 2024, arriving back in 2061. Another factor for viewing the comet is the contrast in the sk
