At a Glance
Comet: References & Edit History
More Articles On This Topic
- Centaur object
- Chiron
- Comet 3I/ATLAS
- Earth impact hazard
- evolution of the atmosphereImportation
- micrometeoroid
- Kuiper belt
- meteor shower
- meteorite crater
- meteorite
- meteor and meteoroidMeteor showers
- Oort cloud
- AstronomyInvestigations of the smaller bodies
- planetary defense
- small body
- small bodyOrigins
- solar systemAsteroids and comets
- Stardust/NExT
Additional Reading
General introductory works are John C. Brandt and Robert D. Chapman, Introduction to Comets, 2nd ed. (2003, reissued 2005); Jacques Crovisier and Thérèse Encrenaz, Comet Science: The Study of Remnants From the Birth of the Solar System, trans. from the French by Stephen Lyle (2000); Armand H. Delsemme, “Whence Come Comets?” Sky and Telescope, 77(3):260-264 (March 1989), an elementary discussion on their origin; Fred L. Whipple and Daniel W.E. Green, The Mystery of Comets (1985); and Robert D. Chapman and John C. Brandt, The Comet Book: A Guide for the Return of Halley’s Comet (1984), a historical treatment. Brian G. Marsden and Gareth V. Williams, Catalogue of Cometary Orbits, 16th ed. (2005), covers 2,221 cometary orbits, with detailed references and notes; a complementary work is Gary W. Kronk, Cometography: A Catalog of Comets, 2 vol. (1999–2003). More-advanced works are R.L. Newburn, Jr., M. Neugebauer, and J. Rahe (eds.), Comets in the Post-Halley Era, 2 vol. (1991), containing reviews, summaries, and scientific papers by about one hundred authors; and K.S. Krishna Swamy, Physics of Comets, 2nd ed. (1997). Donald K. Yeomans, Comets: A Chronological History of Observation, Science, Myth, and Folklore (1991), is a comprehensive reference book on all cometary apparitions, full of anecdotes and highly recommended.
Article Contributors
Primary Contributors
- Armand H. Delsemme
-
Paul Weissman
Senior Scientist, Planetary Science Institute, Pasadena, California. He has worked on the Galileo mission to Jupiter and the Rosetta mission to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Asteroid 3197 Weissman is named for him.
Other Contributors
- DANA MIX
Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors
Article History
| Type | Description | Contributor | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Article title updated for style. | Nov 09, 2026 | ||
| Modified link of Web site: University of Central Florida Pressbooks - The Origin and Fate of Comets and Related Objects. | Sep 05, 2026 | ||
| Add new Web site: The Royal Society Publishing - Philosophical Transactions A - Comets: looking ahead. | Jan 30, 2026 | ||
| Add new Web site: OpenStax - Astronomy 2e - The Origin and Fate of Comets and Related Objects. | Nov 29, 2025 | ||
| Added Comet 3I/ATLAS to list of interstellar objects. | Oct 17, 2025 | ||
| Add new Web site: The Planets - Comet Facts. | Feb 28, 2024 | ||
| Add new Web site: University of Central Florida Pressbooks - The Origin and Fate of Comets and Related Objects. | Nov 17, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: The Nine Planets - Comet Facts. | Aug 21, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: Physics LibreTexts - Comets. | May 12, 2023 | ||
| Added material about interstellar objects. | Mar 07, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: Idaho Public Television - Science Trek - Asteroids and Comets: Facts. | Mar 07, 2022 | ||
| Add new Web site: Space.com - Comets: Facts about the 'dirty snowballs' of space. | Mar 07, 2022 | ||
| Corrected display issue. | Dec 19, 2018 | ||
| Add new Web site: ThoughtCo. - What are Comets? | Mar 29, 2018 | ||
| Media added. | May 13, 2016 | ||
| Changed distance at which Halley's Comet passed by Earth in 1910 from 0.14 AU to 0.15 AU. |
|
May 13, 2016 | |
| Article thoroughly revised and updated. | Oct 02, 2015 | ||
| Add new Web site: National Geographic - Science and Space - Asteroids and Comets. | Feb 04, 2013 | ||
| Add new Web site: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum - Exploring the Planets - Exploring Comets. | Jan 29, 2013 | ||
| Add new Web site: Buzzle.com - Comet. | Jan 29, 2013 | ||
| Add new Web site: Royal Museums Greenwich - Comets. | Jan 29, 2013 | ||
| Add new Web site: Kids Astronomy - Our Solar System - Comets. | Jan 29, 2013 | ||
| Add new Web site: HyperPhysics - Comet. | Nov 29, 2012 | ||
| Add new Web site: Science Kids - Fun Science and Technology for Kids! - Comet Facts for Kids. | Mar 16, 2012 | ||
| Added image of Encke's Comet being hit by a coronal mass ejection. | Feb 09, 2012 | ||
| Add new Web site: NeoK12 - Educational Videos and Games for School Kids - Comet. | Nov 03, 2011 | ||
| Add new Web site: Fact Monster - Science - Comet. | Sep 22, 2011 | ||
| Add new Web site: Indian Child - Uranus. | Jul 22, 2011 | ||
| Add new Web site: The Canadian Encyclopedia - Comet. | Aug 13, 2010 | ||
| Added photographs of Comet Halley. | Mar 22, 2010 | ||
| Section on comet designations updated. | Nov 24, 2009 | ||
| Media added. | Nov 24, 2009 | ||
| Added new Web site: National Geographic - Science - Asteroids and Comets. | Apr 17, 2009 | ||
| Added new Web site: Sea and Sky - Asteroids and Comets. | Apr 16, 2009 | ||
| Added new Web site: How Stuff Works - Science - How Comets Work. | Feb 11, 2009 | ||
| Added new Web site: Office of Naval Research - Observing the Sky: Other Celestial Bodies - Comets. | May 19, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: Office of Naval Research - Naval Research: Comets. | May 19, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy - Comets. | Apr 09, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: The Planetary Society - Asteroids and Comets. | Feb 28, 2008 | ||
| Bibliography revised. | Nov 10, 2006 | ||
| Added new Web site: Window To The Universe - Our Solar System. | Jul 07, 2006 | ||
| Added new Web site: University of Tennessee - Astronomy 161: The Solar System. | Jun 30, 2006 | ||
| Added new Web site: Multiverse - SEGway - The Comet's Tale. | Jun 19, 2006 | ||
| Added new Web site: The Nine Planets - Phobos. | Jun 08, 2006 | ||
| Added new Web site: Enchanted Learning - All About Astronomy. | May 26, 2006 | ||
| Added new Web site: Astronomy Magazine. | May 12, 2006 | ||
| Article revised. | Jun 16, 2005 | ||
| Article revised. | May 17, 2002 | ||
| Article added to new online database. | Jul 26, 1999 |
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