Schematic diagram showing the path of Halley's Comet as it rounds the Sun,together with the orbits (orange rings) of Mars,Earth,Venus & Mercury. The successive positions of the comet illustrate the change in length & direction of its tail as it is shaped by the solar wind. Comet Halley describes a highly elliptical orbit which takes it out beyond Neptune but not as far as Pluto. Its orbit is inclined 18 degrees below the plane in which the planets orbit the Sun. It returns to the centre of the solar system every 76 years,most recently in 1985/86 | |
Licence : | Droits gérés |
Crédit: | Science Photo Library / Baum, Julian |
Taille de l’image : | 3324 px × 4389 px |
Model Release : | Non requis |
Property Release : | Non requis |
Restrictions : | - |