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Re: Halley's Comet reaching aphelion...
From: Robert H. van Gent
Date: 2023 Nov 29, 15:49 -0800
From: Robert H. van Gent
Date: 2023 Nov 29, 15:49 -0800
Hi,
Less than two weeks from now Halley's Comet (1P/Halley) is expected to reach its aphelion (greatest distance from the Sun's centre).
According to JPL's online ephemeris app
https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons/app.html#/
aphelion distance will be 35.1434652 au on 9 December 2023 at 1h 00.0m UT.
The greatest geocentric distance, 36.1162710 au, occurred about four months ago on 29 July 2023 at 14h 14.6m UT. The next greatest geocentric distance will be 36.1122136 au on 28 July 2024 at 05h 52.4m UT.
I did see the comet at its 1985/86 return (just barely, the observing conditions from Utrecht were poor) but I do not expect to be around anymore at its next perihelion passage in 2061.
rvg
