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Home > Assault on a Comet

Assault on a Comet [1]

A fleet of spacecraft took aim at Halley's Comet in 1986, providing the first close-up look at any comet. The best views came from Giotto, a European craft, which snapped this picture (which has been color-enhanced) just a few minutes before its closest encounter. It shows streams of gas and dust flowing away from the comet, pushed by sunlight and the solar wind. [ESA]

Giotto view of Halley's Comet, March 1986
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Source URL:https://legacy.stardate.org/astro-guide/gallery/assault-comet

Links
[1] https://legacy.stardate.org/astro-guide/gallery/assault-comet