Halleys comet


Hal′ley's com′et

(ˈhæl iz or, often, ˈheɪ liz)
n. a comet with a period averaging 76 years: most recently visible in 1986. [after Edmund Halley, who first predicted its return] pron: The common pronunciation for both the comet and the astronomer Edmund Halley, and the one usu. recommended by astronomers, is (ˈhæl i) However, several spellings of the name, including Hailey and Hawley, were in use during the astronomer's own time, when spellings were not yet fixed, and corresponding pronunciations have survived. The pronunciation (ˈheɪ li) in particular remains associated with Halley's comet; it is less likely to be heard as a pronunciation of Edmund Halley.