Comets Collection (#2)

Comet Neowise over Campo Imperatore
Luigi Ruoppolo

Bill Haley of the Comets, on a tour of Britain, is presented by Freddie Lee with an original 78rpm record of his 1950s, 20-million-selling No 1, Rock Around the Clock

Oort cloud. Computer illustration of the Oort cloud of comet nuclei thought to form a spherical halo around the solar system. The Sun and solar system are at centre, but are not seen at this scale

The Great Comet of 1881, known technically as C / 1881 K1 and also as Comet Tebbutt, after John Tebbutt, 1834 - 1916
The Great Comet of 1881, known technically as C/1881 K1 and also as Comet Tebbutt, after John Tebbutt, 1834 - 1916, the Australian astronomer who first observed it from Windsor, New South Wales

Comet Neowise; South Shields, Tyne and Wear, England

Punch comment on Halleys Comet - 1910
The Great Amateur. Aviator: " Marvellous Flier! And does it for love!" - Punch Magazines comment on the appearance of Halleys Comet in May, 1910

Halleys Comet over Hampstead Heath, London, May 1910
Star-gazers watch Halleys Comet near the Flagstaff on Hampstead Heath, London, May 1910. Date: 1910

Nicols Struyck
NICOLaS STRUYCK Dutch mathematician and astronomer, known for his Cometarium which mapped the progress of comets round the sun. Date: 1687 - 1769

Edmond Halley, caricature C015 / 6703
Edmond Halley (1656-1742). Caricature of the British astronomer Sir Edmond Halley. Halley is famous for deducing that the comets seen in 1456, 1531, 1607 and 1682 were the same object

Sun and planets, size comparison
Alien planetary system. Artwork of an extrasolar Earth-like planet (centre right) orbiting its parent star. Another planet (black dot) is seen transiting the star

Formation of the Earth, artwork
Formation of the Earth. Artwork showing stages in the formation of the Earth, up to the present day. The Earth formed 4.5 billion years ago

Heinrich Wilhelm Mathias Olbers (1758-1840), German astronomer and physician. (1864). Olbers was founder member of the astronomers called the Celestial Police who searched for a suppposed missing

Appearance of Comet Crommelin in 1881
The appearance of Comet Crommelin in June/July/August 1881. Also known as Comet Pons-Coggia-Winnecke-Forbes, a periodic comet with an orbital period of almost 28 years

Francesco Bianchini
FRANCESCO BIANCHINI Italian astronomer, made observations about Venus and the Moon, discovered three comets, worked on the calendar for pope Clement XI. Date: 1662 - 1729

Comet of 1811 Rhine
A comet seen over the Rhine in Germany in 1811. Date: 1811

Comet of 1857 Paris
A comet is seen over Paris: in fact the " Comet of 1857" was a hoax. Date: 1857

COMETS OF 1577 1680 1769
THREE EARLY COMET OBSERVATIONS - 1577, after Cornelius Gemma - 1680, after Sturm - 1769, after Messier Date: 1577, 1680, 1769

Comet of Coggia, 1874
THE COMET OF COGGIA observed from the Pont-Neuf, Paris, France Date: 1874

Caroline Herschel
CAROLINE LUCRETIA HERSCHEL Astronomer, discovered eight comets. Also assisted her brother Sir William Herschel (1738-1822). Date: 1750 - 1848

Comet of 1811 / Anon
A comet seen in 1811 somewhere over England, quite possibly the same one which was seen at daybreak from Otterbourne Hill, Winchester on October 15th. Date: 1811

Comet of 1811 / Mag. Pitt
A comet seen in 1811, quite possibly the same one which was seen at daybreak from Otterbourne Hill, Winchester on October 15th. Date: 1811

Morehouses Comet
MOREHOUSEs COMET photographed from Greenwich Date: 1908

Comet Pons-Winnecke 1921
The PONS-WINNECKE COMET, which some feared might hit Earth, passes by harmlessly Date: 1921

Parisians panic at the sight of a comet, thinking that it presages the end of the world. Date: 1819

A Pope with church leaders, a comet, an eclipse and accompanying text. Date: 1493

COMET 1882
Observed by a British artillery officer near the Pyramids, Egypt. Date: 1882

Diagram showing planetary orbits, the sun and the path of a comet, digital illustration

Comet and star dust in space, 3D illustration

Comet (Calloplesiops altivelis) adult, with false-eye spot, Lembeh Straits, Sulawesi, Sunda Islands, Indonesia, January

Gatwick Airport in May 1972 showing Comets, One-Elevens, a Caravelle and a 707. Date: 1972

Title page of pamphlet by John Hill on the comet of December 1680 (Kirch). At this date comets were still considered by many people to be phenomena of ill omen and were viewed with superstitious awe

Illustration showing a view of Augsburg, Germany with the comets of 1680, 1682, and 1683 in the sky

30-inch telescope, Helwan, Egypt
30-inch telescope, Helwan Observatory. This observatory was built in Helwan, a suburb of Cairo, Egypt, from 1903. This 30-inch reflector telescope was provided in 1905 by British astronomer John

30-inch telescope focus, Helwan, Egypt
30-inch telescope focus. At right is the secondary mirror, used to reflect light from the larger primary mirror towards the camera (left) that contains photographic plates

Nemesis star, artwork
Nemesis star. Computer artwork of the star Nemesis, a hypothetical companion star to the Sun (upper left). It is thought that Nemesis is either a red or brown dwarf that moves in an elliptical orbit

Solar system formation, artwork C013 / 8989
Solar system formation. Computer artwork of a protoplanet inside the primordial nebula surrounding the Sun (centre). All the solar systems components originated from this disc of gas and dust

Solar system formation, artwork C013 / 8988
Solar system formation. Computer artwork of rocky asteroids and protoplanets around the primordial nebula surrounding the Sun (centre)

Cursus Cometae, treated on the location and trajectory of the comets in the years 1664-65, work by Johannes Hevelius

William Robert Brooks
WILLIAM ROBERT BROOKS English-born astronomer in USA who built his own telescope at age 14. His speciality was comets, of which he discovered several. Also wrote poetry. Date: 1844 - 1921

COMET OF 1910
The populace of Tientsin, China, attempt to frighten away a comet by making hostile gestures and noises Date: 1910

Solar system, 1893
Solar system. Diagram of the solar system, based on the astronomical knowledge at the end of the 19th century. The Sun is at centre

Comet, 1664
Comet. Historical artwork of a comet seen at Nuremberg, Germany, every night between 14th and 24th December 1664. This comet was one of the brightest of the time, and visible all across Europe

Comet and Sun
Comet. Computer artwork of a comet near the Sun. Comets form when bodies of ice and dust, left over from the formation of the solar system, have their orbits altered to pass near the Sun

HST WFPC2 image of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9
Comet P/Shoemaker-Levy 9. Visible light image of the multiple cores of Comet P/Shoemaker-Levy 9, made by the Wide Field and Planetary Camera-2 of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in December 1993

Oort cloud as seen from the Alpha Centuri system
Artists impression of the Sun (left) and Oort cloud (ring of small blue objects) as seen from the Alpha Centauri triple star system

The collision between Earth & comet Swift-Tuttle
Earth catastrophe. Artwork representing the collision between the comet Swift-Tuttle and the Earth which, according to some astronomers, could take place in August 2126

Comet 2008 J1 (Boattini), May 2008
Comet 2008 J1 (Boattini). The comet can be seen as the slightly blurred white dot, just left of centre. Comets leave a trail of debris behind them, seen as a coma or tail

Artwork of comets passing the Earth
Nemesis comets. Artwork of comets passing close to the Earth. The Nemesis star, which caused them, is seen in a dark lane of the Milky Way at upper right

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Comets have long fascinated humanity, captivating our imaginations and sparking curiosity about the vastness of the universe. From Halleys Comet as it appeared in 1910 to the Hale-Bopp comet that graced our skies in 1997, these celestial wonders have left an indelible mark on history. In 1853, a solar system map was created, providing us with a glimpse into the intricate dance of planets and comets. It was during this time that the Heidelberg Comet made its appearance in 1618, leaving astronomers awestruck by its beauty and mystery. The Panspermia theory of life suggests that comets may have played a crucial role in seeding life on Earth. This notion adds another layer of wonder to these cosmic wanderers, making them even more intriguing. As we delve deeper into history, we encounter notable comets such as the August 1921 comet and Winchester Comet of 1811. These events became significant milestones for scientific observation and understanding. Artistic interpretations also found their place among cometary fascination. The Grandville/Comet artwork showcases how these celestial bodies inspired creativity beyond scientific realms. Even politics couldn't escape the influence of comets. In 1909, "THE GREAT POLITICAL COMET" satire emerged as Halley's comet approached once again, highlighting how these astronomical occurrences can capture public attention like no other phenomenon. From Hampstead Heath in London to Southern England's vantage point, people from all walks of life marveled at Halley's Comet over different periods throughout history. Its return every seventy-six years has become an eagerly anticipated event for stargazers worldwide. Comets continue to remind us just how small we are within this vast cosmos while igniting our sense of wonderment and inspiring further exploration into space.