Some predictions on the nature of Comet Halley

Citation
F. Hoyle et Nc. Wickramasinghe, Some predictions on the nature of Comet Halley, ASTRO SP SC, 268(1-3), 1999, pp. 343-347
Categorie Soggetti
Space Sciences
Journal title
ASTROPHYSICS AND SPACE SCIENCE
ISSN journal
0004640X → ACNP
Volume
268
Issue
1-3
Year of publication
1999
Pages
343 - 347
Database
ISI
SICI code
0004-640X(1999)268:1-3<343:SPOTNO>2.0.ZU;2-N
Abstract
Visible comets like Halley's differ from the great majority of comets in th at they exist in adjacent pieces in gentle motion with respect to each othe r. From time to time the pieces rub together, causing a dusty surface which otherwise would be very dark and difficult to observe to be temporarily sw ept clean. The cleansed patches are then subject to evaporation, so making such multinuclear comets visible. unlike the majority of comets which have single nuclei and which stay dark. The existence of a large number of dark comets could have an interesting relation to the past history of the Earth.