Halley’s 1986 apparition was the least favourable on record. The comet and Earth were on opposite sides of the Sun in February 1986, creating the worst viewing circumstances for Earth observers for the last 2,000 years.[96]
Halley’s closest approach was 0.42 AU.[97] Additionally, with increased light pollution from urbanization, many people failed to even see the comet. It was possible to observe it in areas outside of cities with the help of binoculars.[98] Further, the comet appeared brightest when it was almost invisible from the northern hemisphere in March and April.[99]
Halley’s approach was first detected by astronomers David Jewitt and G. Edward Danielson on 16 October 1982 using the 5.1 m Hale telescope at Mount Palomar and a CCD camera.[100]
The first person to visually observe the comet on its 1986 return was amateur astronomer Stephen James O’Meara on 24 January 1985. O’Meara used a home-built 24-inch telescope on top of Mauna Kea to detect the magnitude 19.6 comet.[101]
On 8 November 1985, Stephen Edberg (then serving as the Coordinator for Amateur Observations at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory) and Charles Morris were the first to observe Halley’s Comet with the naked eye in its 1986 apparition.[102][103]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halley%27s_Comet#History
Happened to be in Guayaquil Ecuador on 4-11-86. For a $100 you could go in a 737 at 30000 feet to see the comet. I was fortunate enough to be seated to a guy from the consulate who spoke Spanish.
The plane flew around in circles for about 2 hours. I managed to see the comet through binoculars. It looked like a medium size star with a thin tail. My seatmate never saw it and neither did about half the people on the plane.
As the plane landed the pilot announced that anyone who did not see the comet could get a rain check to see it the next time.
“Halley’s 1986 apparition was the least favourable on record. “
Yup. From about as young as I can remember, I’d been looking forward to seeing it. Arrived, but viewing angle & tone were so bad I just didn’t. Grrr. Medical tech better get good enough to keep me going until next time.