Press Release

Comet Halley Recovered at ESO

16 February 1986

The first observation of Comet Halley after its passage behind the Sun was made at ESO La Silla by ESO Staff Astronomer R.M. West and Belgian astronomer H. Debehogne.

The comet was observed just above the eastern horizon, against a bright sky. The magnitude was around 3, approximately as predicted. This early recovery observation is of great importance for the navigation of the five spacecrafts (from ESA, USSR, Japan) which are now heading towards an encounter with Halley in early March.

Contacts

Richard West
ESO
Garching, Germany
Tel: +49 89 3200 6276
Email: information@eso.org

Connect with ESO on social media