Question

PREMISE/CONCLUSION

Anne: Halley's Comet, now in a part of its orbit relatively far from the Sun, recently flared brightly enough to be seen by telescope. No comet has ever been observed to flare so far from the Sun before, so such a flare must be highly unusual.

Sue: Nonsense. Usually no one bothers to try to observe comets when they are so far from the Sun. This flare was observed only because an observatory was tracking Halley's Comet very carefully.

Answer 1

The discussion about Halley's Comet involves its unusually bright flare while being far from the Sun and whether such observations are rare, which leads to an exploration of its historical observation records and orbit characteristics.

Step-by-step explanation:

The conversation between Anne and Sue revolves around the observation of Halley's Comet, known for its long and elliptical orbit around the Sun. The comet has been on record since 239 BCE, passing near the Sun at intervals ranging between 74 to 79 years, with the orbit being influenced by the gravitational pull of the giant planets. Edmund Halley, a contemporary of Isaac Newton, was the one to predict its return every 76 years based on its previous sighting. Halley's Comet is notable for its aphelion being beyond the orbit of Neptune and perihelion close to the Sun, resulting in its brightening and the development of a temporary atmosphere, making it an exciting event for both professional and amateur astronomers.