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Name: ejohnson
Status: N/A
Age: N/A
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 1993 - 1999
Question:
How do comets begin their orbits?

What could have happened to Halley's Comet between 1832 and 1911? It seems that Halley's comet slowed down for that period of time- the time of re-occurrence between 1832 and 1911. The current pattern of re-occurrence seems to be once every 74 yrs. then 76 yrs, then 74yrs. then 76yrs. and so on. The time between 1832 and 1911 displays a 79 yr re-occurrence. Please help us in answering these questions. THANKS!

Replies:
Comets spend most of their time in the Oort cloud, well beyond the orbit of Pluto. Everything that is part of our solar system is in orbit. The orbits of comets are unpredictable because of gravitational interactions with the gas giant planets, especially Jupiter.

John Hawley


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