Photo of the Day
Halley's Comet
Wednesday 21 October 2026
The Orionid meteor shower, made of Halley's dust, peaks around now.
Halley's Comet photographed from Easter Island in March 1986 for the International Halley Watch. The Orionid meteors that streak across October skies are specks of dust this comet shed on earlier trips around the Sun.
Fun facts
- Halley's Comet comes back about every 76 years. Its next visit is in 2061. source ↗
- Edmond Halley predicted its 1758 return but died in 1742, before he could see it. source ↗
- Mark Twain was born in 1835 as the comet appeared, predicted he'd "go out with it", and died in 1910 the day after it rounded the Sun. source ↗
- Orionid meteors hit the atmosphere at about 66 km per second. source ↗
- Image
- W. Liller / NASA, International Halley Watch
- Licence
- Public domain
- Source
- Wikimedia Commons