Notable for their brightness or historical significance:
* Halley's Comet: The most famous comet, visible from Earth every 75-76 years. Last seen in 1986, it will return in 2061.
* Comet Hale-Bopp: A very bright comet visible in 1997, which held the record for longest naked-eye visibility in modern times.
* Comet McNaught: Visible to the naked eye in the Southern Hemisphere in 2007, known for its spectacular tail.
* Comet Hyakutake: A bright comet visible in 1996, known for its long, blue tail.
* Comet West: A bright comet visible in 1976, notable for its two tails.
* Comet Arend-Roland: A bright comet visible in 1957, known for its spectacular tail and a sudden outburst of brightness.
Other notable comets:
* Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9: Famous for its spectacular impact with Jupiter in 1994.
* Comet Lovejoy: A bright comet visible in 2011, known for surviving a close encounter with the Sun.
* Comet ISON: A comet that made a close approach to the Sun in 2013, but disintegrated.
* Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko: The target of the Rosetta mission, which landed a probe on its surface in 2014.
* Comet Encke: A short-period comet that has been observed for centuries.
This list is not exhaustive, but it represents some of the most interesting and historically significant comets. There are many other comets that have been observed and studied over the years.
