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Most comets move much faster than the Earth's velocity around the Sun, which is about eighteen miles per second. Halley's comet makes a wide loop every seventy-six years. Its farthest point from the Sun is beyond Neptune. When it is that far out, it parades through space very slowly; an airplane could probably keep up with it. As the comet moves in, it picks up speed. By the time it passes the Earth, it is sprinting along at close to forty miles per second.

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13y ago
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10y ago

Every comet is different, and they travel at different speeds at different points in their orbits.

In close to the Sun, comets are moving very rapidly because they have "fallen" from very distant orbits to a point very near the Sun. After passing the Sun, the Sun's gravity slows them down, to the point that they are hardly moving at all at their apehelion, or most distant point from the Sun. Then they begin to fall again. For periodic comets, this is their life.

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15y ago

The comet moves fastest when it is closest to the Sun - in other words, at apapsis.

The comet moves fastest when it is closest to the Sun - in other words, at apapsis.

The comet moves fastest when it is closest to the Sun - in other words, at apapsis.

The comet moves fastest when it is closest to the Sun - in other words, at apapsis.

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13y ago

The speed of Halley's Comet varies considerably, because its orbit is so elongated. At its farthest point in its orbit, it is travelling less than 1 km/sec (3600 km/hr). When it is nearest the Sun, it is closer to 100 km/sec (360000 km/hr). The often-quoted speed of 150,000 miles an hour refers to its velocity when passing Earth's orbit in 1910. The Earth-relative speed was 70.56 km/sec, which is 254,016 km/h or 157,838 mph.

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14y ago

The elongated orbit of Halley's Comet means that it has considerable velocity relative to the Earth and the Sun when it makes its closest approaches.

Although estimates for its 1910 passage were about 250,000 km/hr (70.56 km/sec), the measurements for its 1986 visit were 100,000 km/hr at its nearest to Earth, and 150,000 km/hr at perihelion. By comparison, its velocity at its farthest point (aphelion), as far out as Pluto, is as low as 3000 km/hr (0.83 km/sec).

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12y ago

Objects (meteors, asteroids) near Earth will usually have a speed between about 10 and 70 km/sec.

Pedantic point: They move at exactly the same speed as the Earth, because

part of the definition of a meteorite is that it has landed on

planet Earth. OK, I know you didn't mean that.

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13y ago

The comet has a changing velocity, from around 1 km sec at aphelion to 100 km/sec or more when it is closest to the Sun. The speed estimated as it passed Earth's orbit in 1910 was 70 km/sec (254,016 km/h or 157,838 mph).

Like everything else in space, Halley's Comet follows an elliptical orbit. When it is closest to the Sun, it is moving fastest, and when farthest away, it is moving quite slowly. Right now, Halley's Comet is out beyond the orbit of Neptune, moving slowly and slowing down even more as it climbs away from the Sun. In about 10 years, it will reach aphelion, at which time it will be almost completely stopped relative to its distance from the Sun, and then it will begin the long fall into the inner solar system.

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14y ago

The Earth goes around the Sun at about 30 km/sec; a comet or meteorite, coming from the far reaches of the Solar System, can have a speed of up to 42 km/sec. This means that the relative speed can be anywhere between about 10 and 70 km/sec, depending on whether the Earth and the other object travel in the same direction, or in opposite directions.

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14y ago

That depends on where in its orbit the comet is. Near the Sun, the comet was moving VERY fast indeed, but in 1200 years or so, a few hundred AU from the Sun, it will hardly be moving at all. And then it will begin to make its long fall back into the inner solar system.

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6mo ago

Halley's Comet travels at a speed of about 70 km/s when it is closest to Earth.

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Q: What is the speed of Halley's Comet when it is nearest Earth?
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How long will it take if you traveled at the speed of light to get from earth to a comet?

Assuming the comet is far away in the outer solar system, it would take light approximately 8 minutes to reach Earth from the Sun, and then more time to reach the comet depending on its distance. Traveling at the speed of light, it would take a few minutes to several hours or more to get from Earth to a comet, depending on its specific location in space.


Does a comets speed change as it orbits the sun?

Yes. Comets have highly elliptical orbits. They move fastest when they are nearest the sun and slowest when they are farthest away.


What Comet causes the most damage?

Comets rarely cause damage to Earth as they are small icy bodies that burn up in the atmosphere or pass by harmlessly. However, if a large comet were to impact Earth, it could cause catastrophic damage due to the high speed and energy of the impact.


Is Halley's orbit to earth the same each time?

No, Halley's comet orbits the sun and its orbit is not the same each time it passes by Earth. The orbit of Halley's comet is an elliptical shape, so its distance from Earth and speed can vary during each approach.


What is the association between a comet size and its crater diameter approximately?

The size of a comet does not necessarily determine its crater diameter. Crater diameter is influenced by various factors such as impact velocity, angle, and composition of the surface being impacted. Therefore, a smaller comet could potentially create a larger crater than a larger comet if it were to impact with higher velocity and at a steeper angle.

Related questions

How long will it take if you traveled at the speed of light to get from earth to a comet?

Assuming the comet is far away in the outer solar system, it would take light approximately 8 minutes to reach Earth from the Sun, and then more time to reach the comet depending on its distance. Traveling at the speed of light, it would take a few minutes to several hours or more to get from Earth to a comet, depending on its specific location in space.


If a comet is close to the sun how fast does it travel?

If any comet comes CLOSER to the Sun than Earth's distance from the Sun, its speed will be LARGER than that of Earth, which is 30 km/second.The exact speed will depend on how close the comet gets to Earth, and - to a lesser extent - on the exact shape of its orbit. If you know the orbital characteristics, you can get the speed using Kepler's laws. For a start, compare the orbit to Earth's orbit, using Kepler's Third Law.


Does a comets speed change as it orbits the sun?

Yes. Comets have highly elliptical orbits. They move fastest when they are nearest the sun and slowest when they are farthest away.


Does the speed earth revolve around the sun logic?

100,000 km/hr the earth will become a comet or same as the sun


Does a comet burn when it enters the earth atmosphere?

Yes, a comet experiences intense heating and friction as it enters Earth's atmosphere, causing it to burn and create a bright streak of light known as a meteor or shooting star. This process is due to the extreme speed at which the comet is traveling through the atmosphere.


What Comet causes the most damage?

Comets rarely cause damage to Earth as they are small icy bodies that burn up in the atmosphere or pass by harmlessly. However, if a large comet were to impact Earth, it could cause catastrophic damage due to the high speed and energy of the impact.


What is the maximum speed of the mercury comet automatic 6cyl 101hp 1962?

The maximum speed of the 1962 Mercury Comet is 81 mph.


Is Halley's orbit to earth the same each time?

No, Halley's comet orbits the sun and its orbit is not the same each time it passes by Earth. The orbit of Halley's comet is an elliptical shape, so its distance from Earth and speed can vary during each approach.


What is a shooting made of?

A shooting star is made up of rocks then they go around a planet to get more speed then they go and crash on the earth or rome around it; a comet


What is the wind speed on a comet?

It's 2395 mph.


What is the life expectancy of a comet?

depends on its mass and speed


What happens to the speed of a comet when it reaches earth?

Most comets never reach the Earth. However, if one did it would probably be traveling at about 120,000 miles per hour, and it would make QUITE a mess!