Haley’s Comet in 86 was a great comet. I watched it for more than 2 years as it approached and left. It was the 4th brightest comet easily visible in the Northern Hemisphere since the 70s. It was NOT like Comet West, Hyakutake, or Hale Bopp, but, you can’t have everything.
There hasn’t been anything like Comet West is a LONG time.
From my location, Halley’s was only visible with unaided eyes very near the horizon. It was like a faint, smudged star.
I was away from the city light pollution and it was still barely visible.
Halley was a disappointment to me. Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake made up for it.
I’m old enough that, I remember looking out our front window one morning before dawn and seeing Ikeya-Seki. To this day, it’s been the brightest comet I have seen. I was 9-10 years old.