How is research done on Halleys Comet if it isn seen very often?
For the first time ever, in 1985 and 1986, space craft actually flew through the tail of Halley’s Comet (Japan sent two spacecraft, the Soviet Union sent one, and the European Space Agency sent one (the “Giotto”)). Scientists learned a lot from these fly-throughs. Also, the Hubble space telescope taught us a lot about the comet after it had left the vicinity of Earth and the Sun, as did other newly developed exploratory tools. Meanwhile, other comets are studied using spacecraft and new advanced telescopes. Learning about ANY comet helps us understand Halley’s Comet!
