As Halley's comet began its swing around the far side of the sun in early January, it disappeared from view, not to be visible from earth again until after it emerged from the sun's glare in mid-February. Unfortunately for earthbound observers, it was during that unseen passage that Halley's put on its most dramatic display so far. As the comet neared its Feb. 9 perihelion, its closest approach to the sun (about 55 million miles), the searing solar rays caused increasing amounts of material to evaporate from its icy surface. Eventually the comet's enveloping gas cloud, or coma, grew to more...
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