When was the last time you looked into the night sky and saw a stunning comet streaking by?
Click start to play today’s Word Search, where you can find various famous comets.
Comets in the past were so bright, they could be seen with the naked eye or binoculars, and sometimes even in the day time. According to Earth Sky, some of the major comets ever seen from Earth reached a magnitude of 1 or brighter, meaning they became as luminous as the brightest stars. Their tails would span 15 degrees or more. For the moments they remained in the sky, they were spectacular – a sight that no one who witnessed it would easily forget.
Here are some of the most memorable comets seen from Earth:
1. C/1995 O1 Hale-Bopp
One of the most prominent comets of recent times, Comet Hale-Bopp was travelling between the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn when it was discovered on July 23, 1995. The comet was huge, estimated to be between 60-80km in diameter. It became an object that could be viewed with the naked eye in May 1996, and remained visible for 569 days (around 18 months) – a record that it still holds.
2. Comet Donati
Often described as one of the most beautiful comets ever seen, and the most brilliant one to appear in the 19th century, Comet Donati made a huge impression on night gazers in 1858. Even then-US President Abraham Lincoln is said to have sat by his window and gazed upon it. The dusty, bright comet generated an arcing tail some 50 degrees in length. It was so spectacular, it inspired numerous paintings in the art world, all depicting the comet’s vibrancy.
3. Comet Hyakutake
Discovered in January 1996, Comet Hyakutake was one of the closes comets to pass Earth in 200 years. It was as bright as a star in the night sky, and could be viewed all around the world, which was why it was dubbed the Great Comet of 1996. The Ulysses space probe unexpectedly crossed the comet’s tail – more than 500 million kilometres away from its nucleus – causing scientists to discover that Hyakutake had the longest known tail for a comet.
Have you ever observed a comet? Play today’s Word Search and let us know what you think at games@gulfnews.com.
