1P/Halley is a large comet with a medium-length orbit that is highly inclined to the ecliptic plane of the solar system. NASA JPL has classified 1P/Halley as a "Near Earth Asteroid" due to its orbit's proximity to Earth, but it is not considered potentially hazardous because computer simulations have not indicated any imminent likelihood of future collision.
1P/Halley orbits the sun every 27,700 days (75.84 years), coming as close as 0.58 AU and reaching as far as 35.28 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. 1P/Halley is about 11.0 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Boston.
1P/Halley's orbit is 0.08 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.
1P/Halley has 1 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| May 7, 2134 | 13,701,609 | 65.280 |
1P/Halley's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 21, 1835. It was last officially observed on Jan. 11, 1994. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 8,548 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 1P/Halley is indicated by a ◯ pink circle. Note that the object may not be in your current field of view. Use the controls below to adjust position, location, and time.