2007-10-11 17:17:42 · 7 answers · asked by kris2209110 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Because Halley's Comet moves in an extremely elliptical orbit around the sun. This means that most of the time it's up to 35 times farther from Earth than the Earth is from the sun.
2007-10-11 17:28:30 · answer #1 · answered by Chug-a-Lug 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Halley's comet is in an extremely elliptical orbit that takes it beyond Neptune before returning to the inner Solar System again. Because of it's extreme eccentricity or elliptical shape if you will, the comet's orbit only brings it close enough to the Sun to vigorously give off gas and dust for the 6 to 9 months when it's closest to the Sun. It the comet had a circular orbit, it would be circling the Sun between Saturn and Uranus and would not be visible as a great comet at all. The rest of the time, it's giving off gas and dust slowly or not at all because it's far from the Sun and frozen solid. Currently the comet is near Neptune's orbit and will reach aphelion, or the far end of its orbit sometime in 2023. Then it will head back towards the inner Solar System for it's next appearance in 2061.
2016-04-08 04:34:02 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Halley's comet is on an elliptical orbit that only comes near the earth every 76 years.
2007-10-11 17:27:08 · answer #3 · answered by Spark 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
For the same reason it takes the earth a year to go around the Sun: that's just its orbital period
2007-10-11 17:39:31 · answer #4 · answered by Eli 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
because it has a very elongated, oval orbit which brings it back into the inner solar system only once every 76 years.
2007-10-11 17:26:25 · answer #5 · answered by AlCapone 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's on an orbit around the solar system. That takes time.
2007-10-11 18:09:31 · answer #6 · answered by Richard_CA 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the same reason why the earth goes round the earth in one year
2007-10-11 17:55:57 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋