Every 76 years, a very bright object streaks across our sky, producing a brilliant lightshow. This object is Halley’s Comet, and as recently as 100 years ago, people thought the comet foretold doom and destruction.
Halley’s Comet has been known since at least 240 BCE, but early stargazers knew little about it. The comet wasn’t understood until 1705, when English astronomer Edmund Halley calculated the comet’s orbit using Isaac Newton’s newly formulated laws of motion. Halley predicted the comet’s next appearance, but other astronomers were skeptical, and ridiculed his prediction. Just as Halley had said, however, the comet next appeared on Christmas Eve 1758. Halley died before this appearance, but the comet was later named in his honor.
Legends surrounded Halley’s Comet for hundreds of years, and many people believed that an appearance by the comet meant tragedy would soon occur. There was also a myth that that the comet was excommunicated by Pope Callistus III in 1456 CE, because of the widespread belief that the comet brought destruction. However, this story has been disputed for several years. By the time Halley’s Comet appeared in 1910, people all over the world had heard the legends and were fearful, even more so because this time, Earth would pass through the comet’s tail. Because cyanide gas had been discovered in the comet’s tail, many people believed they would be poisoned when the comet passed over. “Comet pills” sold at the time promised protection, but, as you can probably guess, the comet passed by Earth without catastrophe.
Halley’s Comet is one of the best known comets, but is probably not typical. Unlike many comets, which are either very faint or appear infrequently, Halley’s Comet is large and passes by Earth regularly. Though large by comet standards, it is still smaller than most celestial objects, and is one of the darkest objects in the solar system.
The comet’s next visit to our part of the solar system will be in the year 2061.
Halley's Comet
Photographic Print
Johana, Victoria
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