Top 5 Comets Ever Seen

A list of the top five comets ever seen. All comet data is accurate as of 2021!

Why are comets so cool? They’re icy, they have a long tail and they come from outer space! But that’s not the only reason.

Comets are also very interesting because of how rare it is to see one. However, we get lucky every once in a while, and catch sight of these beauties. Here are the top 5 comets ever seen!

What Is a Comet?

A comet is a chunk of ice and rock that orbits the sun. They are also called “dirty snowballs”.

Comets can last for millions or billions of years, but some don’t survive long enough to make it around the sun at least once.

The tail is how we know if there’s one nearby! The dust, ice, and gas that come off the comet’s nucleus create a tail that can span several thousand miles long.

What Is the Difference Between a Comet and Asteroid?

The main difference between these two is that asteroids are made from metal and rocky materials, while comets are mostly made from ice and dust.

Comets also have a long tail which asteroids do not have.

The Difference Between a Comet and Meteor?

Meteors burn up in the atmosphere when they enter Earth’s orbit, but comets can be seen from space because they don’t burn up!

A comet’s nucleus is made of ice and dust, so it can survive the heat that comes from entering Earth’s atmosphere.

Let’s now see which are the top five comets ever seen!

1)Halley’s Comet

Halley’s comet is the most famous of them all, and it happens to be the one that comes around every 75-76 years.

It was named after Edmond Halley who made a prediction about its orbit in 1682 based on observations from two previous appearances.

The last time we saw the comet was in 1986 and the next time it will be visible is in 2061

2)Hale Bopp

This comet is the most famous for being closely followed by Earth in 1997.

It was predicted to be a naked eye object when it first appeared, but only became brighter as it came closer to the sun and Earth.

The last time it passed close to earth was 2000 BC. The arrival of Hale Bopp led to a tragic human event where 39 members of the Heaven’s Gate cult in San Diego committed suicide.

3)Comet Borrelly

Comet Borrelly flew by Earth on September 25, 2001.

It was discovered in 1904 and the comet’s nucleus had a diameter of just 4.8 kilometers.

NASA scientists believe that comet Borrelly is made up of icy rocks, which were created in an icy cloud beyond Neptune and are called the Kuiper Belt.

4)Hyakutake Comet

Comet Hyakutake was discovered in 1996 and it is also one of the brightest comets ever seen!

It passed the earth’s atmosphere just by 15 million kilometers, which is an impressive distance from the earth.

Hyakutake is one of the longest-period comets, with an orbital period that was about 17,000 years before its most recent passage through our solar system.

Because Hyakutake was at its brightest for only a few days, it did not have time to permeate the public in the way that Comet Hale–Bopp did. In 1997, people were aware of all phenomena coming from outer space and this comet filled their minds with wonderment.

One fun thing to add is that The Ulysses spacecraft made an unexpected pass through the tail of a comet on 1 May 1996.

5)Comet Encke

Comet Encke is a periodic comet that orbits the sun every three and a half years.

This makes it the shortest period comet of them all!

It was named after German astronomer Johann Franz Encke who observed the comet in 1819.

There are some theories that say that comet Encke caused some effects on our planet.

An example of this is the Tunguska event of 1908, which could have been caused by the impact of a cometary body.

Czechoslovakian astronomer Ľubor Kresák has also postulated that it may be possible for this to happen due to a fragment from Comet Encke, which would make sense considering when it happened and how close they were at one point.

Last Thoughts

The visual effects of comets can be stunning, and those that have the biggest impact on Earth are well worth watching.

If you see a comet in the sky this year, make sure to take some time out of your day to gaze up at it!