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• Halley's comet
  Halley's comet

  noun

  a comet with a period averaging 76 years. In this century it was visible to terrestrial observers just before and after reaching perihelion in 1910 and again in 1986.
• Halley's Comet
  Halley's Comet

  noun

  a comet revolving around the sun in a period of about 76 years, last seen in 1985–86

Halley's comet

American  

[hal-eez, hay-leez] / ˈhæl iz, ˈheɪ liz /

noun

1. a comet with a period averaging 76 years. In this century it was visible to terrestrial observers just before and after reaching perihelion in 1910 and again in 1986.

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Halley's Comet British  

/ ˈhælɪz /

noun

1. a comet revolving around the sun in a period of about 76 years, last seen in 1985–86

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Halley's comet Scientific  

/ hăl′ēz,hā′lēz /

1. A short-period comet that orbits the Sun once every 76 years. It is visible to the unaided eye and last appeared in 1986, when close observation by spacecraft showed that its nucleus measures about 16 km (10 mi) by 8 km (5 mi) and is composed of water ice, stony minerals, and organic compounds. Its next appearance will be in the year 2061.

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Pronunciation

The common pronunciation for both the comet and the astronomer after whom it is named is . This is the pronunciation usually recommended by astronomers. However, several variant spellings of the name, including Hailey, Haley, and Hawley, were used interchangeably during the astronomer's own time, a period when spellings even of proper names were not yet fixed, and corresponding pronunciations have survived. The pronunciation in particular remains associated with Halley's comet ; it is less likely to be heard as a pronunciation of Edmund Halley .

Etymology

Origin of Halley's comet

Named after Edmund Halley, who first predicted its return

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Halley's comet Halley's Comet

The Orionids are an annual meteor shower caused by debris left by Halley's comet in its journey around the Sun.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

Now, the NFL’s answer to Halley’s comet is tearing across the sky again.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026

It’s 2061 and a solar flare has pushed Halley’s comet onto a collision course with Earth.

From New York Times ● Aug. 6, 2021

Jackson’s host allows announcer Don Pardo to pose questions to contestants such as, “When is the next reappearance of Halley’s comet scheduled?” only to cut them off before they answer.

From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2019

The Kuiper belt is the source of what are known as short-period comets–those that come past pretty regularly–of which the most famous is Halley’s comet.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Across 58 scenes the British Museum counts 737 animals, 627 figures, 416 plants, 115 swords, 37 ships, 33 buildings, 23 trees, 11 thrones, four sea crossings, two feasts, and the first depiction of Halley’s Comet.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

The appearance in the sky of Halley's Comet, which is only visible from Earth roughly every 75 years, is regarded as a bad omen following Harold's alleged betrayal.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

Halley's Comet crossed the skies during the short reign of King Harold Godwinson, who ruled England from January 6 to October 14, 1066.

From Science Daily ● May 13, 2026

When longtime announcer Don Pardo asks Kroeger’s milquetoast contender, “When is the next reappearance of Halley’s Comet scheduled?” a buzzer instantly cuts him off.

From Salon ● Feb. 22, 2026

Nyla waves her arms, and in an instant, just like when we stood among Earth and the moon and Halley’s Comet on the night of the party, Sagan’s surface suddenly surrounds us.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

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