Encke's Comet is a periodic comet that orbits the Sun approximately every 3.3 years. It was named after the French astronomer Johann Franz Encke, who calculated its orbit in 1818. This comet is notable for being one of the shortest-period comets known, making it a frequent visitor to the inner solar system. The comet is composed of ice, dust, and rocky material, and it becomes visible from Earth when it approaches the Sun. As it gets closer, the heat causes the ice to vaporize, creating a glowing coma and a tail that can stretch for millions of kilometers.