Halley's Comet. Historical photomechanical print depicting the 1910 appearance of Halley's Comet with Venus (lower right) and The Moon (bottom centre). Halley's Comet is the only naked-eye comet certain to return within a human lifetime (every 75 years or so). It derives its name from the English astronomer Edmond Halley (1656-1742) who computed its orbit. In 1910 the comet's approach was relatively close, and on 18 May the Earth passed through the comet's tail. Created in 1910.