Hello everyone, hope you had a chance to view a couple of the Eta Aquarid meteors through this early morning before sunrise!
The answer to “What comet’s debris is the source of the Eta Aquarid meteors?” is one of the more famous ones: Comet Halley. It is of course named after Edmond Halley, the publisher of Newton’s laws on gravitation who in 1705 stated that the comets observed in 1531 (by Apianus) and in 1607 (by Kepler) were actually the same comet which returned roughly every 75 years; he based his statement on orbital calculations made of 24 cometary observations, using Newton’s laws to determine gravitational effects by other planetary bodies. Halley was able to observe the comet himself in 1682. This was the first comet to have been visited by our spacecraft in 1986, and is due to return in 2061.
Earth’s orbit intersects the debris trail left by Halley’s comet twice throughout the year; we will encounter it again in late October, where we’ll be treated to it as the Orionids meteor shower.
(As always, this article reflects my own views and is not to be construed as legal advice…even for comets.)
A View From the Geek Seats 