Topic: Halley's Comet

Geminid meteor shower reigns in the night sky (+video)

Geminid meteor shower: Last night's annual meteor shower was a crowd pleaser. The Gemind meteor shower comes from debris shed by a 3-mile-wide  asteroid called 3200 Phaethon.

Modern Parenthood
Orionid meteor shower: Wake the kids, make a memory

The Orionid meteor shower peaks tonight, so wake the kids for a teachable moment of wonder – whether you can answer their questions or not, they’ll remember these fragments of Halley’s comet when they see that comet come around again in 2061.

Orionid meteor shower: Watch for fireballs during weekend peak

One of the more spectacular meteor showers of the year peaks overnight Saturday, with perhaps 60 visible meteors an hour. Fireballs – any meteor brighter than Venus – are likely as Orionids plunge into the atmosphere at 148,000 miles per hour.

Lyrid meteor shower lights up sky around world (+video)

Clear skies and the absence of a bright moon this past weekend made for a spectacular Lyrid meteor shower, which dazzles skywatchers around the globe.

Comet's fiery plunge may tell us how planets form

For the first time, scientists have caught a glimpse of a comet's final minutes before it was vaporized by the sun. The comet was flying at about 1.4 million miles an hour.

Quadrantid meteors and 11 other big skywatching events of 2012

What lies ahead sky-wise for 2012? Joe Rao, SPACE.com Skywatching Columnist, selected what he considers to be the top 12 "skylights" for this coming year,

Mark Twain: 10 reasons we love him

For Twain's 176th's birthday, ten reasons the world is still fascinated by the Missouri native.

Where did Earth's water come from? Comet Hartley 2 offers new clues.

The composition of comet Hartley 2 suggests that comets might have been a bigger source of Earth's water than previously thought. It's also challenging models of solar system formation.

In tonight's meteor shower, watch falling debris from Halley's Comet

Halley's Comet won't be back for half a century, but tonight Earth will move through some of the debris the comet left behind, creating a spectacular meteor shower – if you live far enough south.

4 new mysteries for spring

As April is the cruelest month, it seems like a fine time to check in with some of the mystery genre's most reliable wordsmiths. From forgotten historical figures to lost children, there are enough puzzles and double-crosses here to carry fans through to summer – but not a butler in sight.

Quadrantid meteor shower tonight: the top nine meteor showers of 2011

This week will see a lesser known meteor shower, the Quadrantid, dazzle the night sky on Jan. 3 and 4. It's the first of nine significant meteor showers in 2011. Here’s a list of all the events and what to watch for each time.

Comet Hartley 2: EPOXI probe flyby to yield rare close-up photos

Comet Hartley 2 will get its portrait taken on Thursday by NASA's EPOXI spacecraft. NASA will snap 6,000 high-resolution images of 103P/Hartley 2, a small comet that hangs out around Jupiter's orbit.

How a comet can cause a meteor shower

The Earth often passes through the trail crumbs left behind by comets.

Orionid meteor shower from Halley's Comet has big finish Thursday night

Orionid meteor shower will conclude Thursday night as the Earth finishes traversing through the debris field that follows Halley's Comet.

Comet Hartley 2 to swing by Earth Wednesday

Comet Hartley 2 will make its closest approach to Earth tomorrow, and is best viewed with binoculars or a low-magnification telescope.

Did the ancient Greeks spot Halley's Comet?

Halley's Comet visited our inner solar system in 466 BC, where it was probably viewed by ancient Greek skywatchers.

Meteor shower August 2010: how you can get the best view

Meteor shower August 2010 peak comes early Friday. Emanating from the constellation Perseid, the meteor shower could yield sightings in some locations of up to 75 meteors an hour.

Horizons
What's the buzz on the Orionid meteor shower last night?

Peak viewing time for the Orionid meteor shower occurred late last night and early this morning.

Horizons
Make way for meteors! The Orionids are coming!

Horizons
Meteor shower tonight! Orionid meteor shower begins at 1 am

Meteor shower tonight? Yep, peak viewing times for the Orionid meteor shower begins tonight (er... tomorrow) at 1 am.

Discoveries
Comet Lulin arrives tonight - break out your telescopes