Â鶹APP

10 Most Famous Comets in History

The relationship between humanity and the universe dates back to billions of years and continues to move to new levels today. There have been stories of UFOs from different planets in the universe and the comets have a special place in human history. Astronomers and scientists have spent years in laboratories to uncover the truths behind the comets. Looking back at history, we find several different types of comets that were discovered by ancient astronomers. These beautiful natural objects have been described in multiple ways in the past until modern scientists embarked on research to give reasonable explanations. For example, ancient societies associated the comets with either blessings or curses. Coincidentally, every occurrence that came before or after the comets appeared was linked to the extraordinary object.

The discovery of modern science and technology has helped solve these life’s mysteries. the comets have been given different names to differentiate them there is Halley’s Comet that is one of the most famous in history because of its constant periodic appearance over seven decades. The comet has been traced back to the ancient people including ancient Greek and Babylonian days. There is also the Great Comet which was first observed and recorded in the seventeenth century and put in books of history as one of the brightest comets that had ever been observed. Comets have come in different packages such as sizes, brightness, appearing patterns making them historic events. Going back to history helps to uncover some of these special objects that have fascinated humanity.

The following are the top ten most famous comets in history:

1. Comet Borrelly-Apparition 1904

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Scientists and astronomers have observed and recorded the Borrelly Comet in every seven years since its first appearance in 1904. The French astronomer Alphonse Borrelly was the first man to see this comet and named it after him. Borrelly comet was also recorded in 2001 where the object revealed the best images. The historic appearance was easy to observe by amateur astronomers. Some of the recent images of the Borrelly comet were observed in January 2022 and it is expected to reappear again in seven years. The eight kilometers long comet is one of the most famous in history.

Also see: Shooting Stars: 10 Fascinating Facts About Meteors

2. Comet Encke-Apparition 1786

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Comet Encke is one of the comets in the world with the shortest periodic appearance. The comet appears every three years after its first apparition in the eighteenth century as seen by the French astronomer Pierre Mechain. At four kilometers long, the Encke Comet also reflects little light while traveling. It was recognized to appear periodically in 1819 and the latest appearance was in June 2020 while the following comet will appear in October 2023. Comet Encke has been linked to Taurid meteor showers.

3. Tempel Tuttle- Apparition 1865

Wilhelm Tempel from Germany and Horace Parnell from America were the first men in history to see the Tempel-Tuttle comet in 1865 and 1866 respectively. Since its first apparition, the comet has been recorded to appear periodically after every three decades. With a length of three kilometers, this comet has been associated with the Leonid meteor showers. If you missed seeing the Tempel-Tuttle Comet in 1998, be sure to see it in 2031.

4. Halley’s Comet- Apparition 1682

, , via Wikimedia Commons

Halley’s Comet is the most famous comet to be observed in history. It has earned a spot as the most famous because it can be observed without the help of modern technology. Although it occurs once in almost eight decades, Halley’s Comet can be observed in the sky for half a year. The English astronomer Edmond Halley observed the comet in 1682 and backdated its previous appearances using Newton’s motion laws. Although he did not live to see the comet appear, he was honored by naming it after him. After appearing in 1986, Halley’s Comet is expected to appear again in 2061 and only a few people have lived to see it twice in their lives.

5. Shoemaker Levy-9-Apparition 1993

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Scientists believe that the Shoemaker-Levy 9 has had the greatest impact on Jupiter than any other comet in the universe. Three scientists observed the Shoemaker Levy-9 in 1994 as its fragments collided with planet Jupiter at sixty kilometers per second. The collision with Jupiter must have saved several other collisions on Earth which would have hurt the planet Earth. There is little information about whether it’s a periodic appearance.

6. Hyakutake – Apparition 1996

Hyakukate Comet is famous in history because of its enormous tail and the time it takes to disappear from the sky. It was seen by an amateur astronomer from Japan in 1996 and was named the Great Comet of 1996 due to its huge size. Yuji Hyakukate observed the comet with low-resolution binoculars because it was visible to the naked eye for more than three months. Despite having a shorter body and nucleus, the Hyakukate has the longest tail spanning more than half a billion kilometers. It also appears once in a lifetime as it is believed to take more than twenty thousand years to reappear.

Find out: 20 Interesting Facts About Dwarf Planets

7. Hel Bopp- Apparition 1997

, , via Wikimedia Commons

The Hale Bopp Comet was one of the most famous occurrences in the 90s as it was named the Great Comet of 1997. The comet was observed by two astronomers, Alan Hale, and Thomas Bopp technology before it appeared for everyone to see with the naked eye. The comet had the biggest diameter ranging up to more than eighty kilometers. Due to its size, the Hale Bopp was observed in the sky for more than two years before disappearing. History was made when more than seventy percent of the American population saw the Hale Bopp comet.

8. Comet Ikeya-Seki- Apparition 1965

, , via Wikimedia Commons

Comet Ikeya-Seki was first observed by Kaoru Ikeya and Tsutomu Seki in September 1965 before it would appear for everyone to see with the naked eye. Researchers found that the comet was huge in size and was one of the brightest to have been observed because of its orbit that crosses close to the sun. Many comets that are close to the sun are destroyed by Comet Ikeya Seki is one of those that survive because of their enormous size. The comet was ten times brighter than full-on and would be easily seen during daylight.

9. Comet Bennett- Apparition 1969

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

An amateur South African astronomer John Caister Bennett was the first person to see the Comet Bennett in December 1969 before it appeared for everyone in early 1970. Although it was also one of the brightest comets recorded, it reached naked-eye visibility when it was in dark places. The enormous tail of the Comet Bennet was an outstanding feature that made it brighter than ordinary comets. It came close to the earth’s surface at just a hundred million kilometers away.

10. Comet NEOWISE- Apparition 2020

, , via Wikimedia Commons

The most recent comet was observed in March 2020 by the Near Earth Objects Widefield Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE). The research team observed that the Comet NEOWISE would be closest to the sun in July of the same year just forty million kilometers away. The comet does not have a periodic appearance period as it was believed to take more than four thousand years to reappear. However, the period changes when it interacts with other objects in the solar system and it is now estimated to reappear again after more than seven thousand years.

The comets have been part of the universe for millennia and astronomers continue to shed light on these objects. Several comets have appeared in the past and still appear today making them some of the most famous comets in history. Ancient scientists and astronomers associated the comets with bad and good luck in society. Looking back at the history of comets reveals the truths about these extraordinary occurrences. Some have only appeared once while others have a periodic appearance of just three years. These unique visitors from the outside world have left trails of bright lights in the night skies for ages and many people are always eager to see one. Every apparition makes history adding knowledge to the science world.