science

Measuring the orbit of a comet can help scientists understand when it will next be visible from Earth because comets follow an elliptical orbit. The size and shape of this orbit can help scientists determine the time it will take the comet to travel around the sun and arrive at a point that is close enough to Earth to make the comet visible. Additionally, the size of the comet's orbit reveals how close to Earth it will come, so scientists can estimate how bright the comet may become.