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Giotto

Spacecraft that studied the nucleus of Halley's Comet. Named after the 14th-century Italian painter Giotto di Bondone, Giotto was the European Space Agency's first solar system exploration mission. During its approach to Halley's Comet, Giotto returned a wealth of scientifically valuable data, including vivid images, and on March 13, 1986, it approached within 596 km (370 mi) of the nucleus of the comet.

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