Comet Halley, the Creator of a meteor shower orionids covering our skies each October, hit the lens probe "Giotto" March 14, 1986. We are accustomed to the Hubble and Cassini, it is useful to recall how things were just a quarter of a century ago.

"Giotto" was the first spacecraft of the European space Agency, who have gone into deep space. He was held in 600 km from the comet, and the world for the first time the world saw its kernel, as well as jets of gas and dust. In addition, the probe has revealed the first signs of organic material in the comet that played into the hands of the hypothesis about the important role of these primitive bodies in the delivery of Land to water, and even the "seeds" of life.

Halley you can watch every 75-76 years. She goes back into the inner Solar system in 2061 year. However orionids reminded of it every year. When the icy comet is heated by the Sun, its material begins to evaporate along a dusty component: thus, there is a long comet's tail. These fragments continue to hang out along the path of the comet even after she flies away, and every year the Earth passes by this thread.

It is just a tiny particles, but they are beautifully burn up in the atmosphere, like "paduca stars". Arionidae they were called in because the meteors appear near the constellation Orion. By the way, there is the idea that Halley's comet is responsible for meteor shower ETA-Aquarids who comes to us every year in may.

Visiting the Halley comet, "Giotto" went to the comet Grigg - Skjellerup, which met in July 1992.

In 2014, the baton will be picked up another European unit - "Rosetta", which will study the comet Churyumov - Gerasimenko. He will follow her around the Sun, and this will be the most careful study of history. There will also be the first attempt to get to the core and "taste" the composition of the surface, in order to identify the role of comets in the evolution of the Solar system.

Based on the materials of the European space Agency.