Comets In History

Comet Halley Comet West Comet Hale-bopp Image

Long considered to be harbingers of doom, mankind eventually figured out that comets were large objects made from frozen rock travelling through space. Those that come close enough to Earth and are bright enough can be seen with the naked eye, and have become famous Comets in History.

Comets have been sprinkled throughout history and literature, often signifying some important event, like the birth of a king or the death of an empire. While these heavenly travellers have had no direct influence on human history, they have made an impact, with records of their travels dating back thousands of years. There are a number of comets that have been highlighted in history due to either the unusual nature of their appearance, or their persistence. Below are just a few of some of the great comets in history.

The Great Comet of 1882

Many comets significant enough to be named carry the name of their discoverer, but there was a problem with naming the Great Comet of 1882—too many people discovered it at once. By the time the comet put in an appearance in the skies of Earth it was bright enough to be seen not only by the naked eye, but during the day as well. It is belied that the first astronomer to see it was W. H. Finlay in South Africa. The Great Comet of 1882 was so bright it could be seen next to the sun.

The Great Comet of 1996 – Comet Hyakutake

In 1996, astronomers were gearing up to watch the approach of Comet Hale-Bopp the next year, when they were surprised by an event that eclipsed the anticipated Hale-Bopp. Comet Hyakutake-- The Great Comet of 1996—made the closest pass to Earth of any celestial object in the previous 200 years. A long-period comet, it won’t pass by Earth again for another 72,000 years or so.

The Great Comet of 1997 – Comet Hale-Bopp

The Great Comet of 1811 was known for being observable to the naked eye for a record length of time—nine months. That record was crushed by twice the time by the Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997. Paranoia and superstition arrived with Hale-Bopp as people claimed a spaceship was following the comet. The Heaven’s Gate cult committed mass suicide in an attempt to join the spaceship.

Comet West

While considered a Great Comet and discovered in 1975, this object is just referred to as “Comet West” after its discoverer. One reason Comet West is less well known is that the previous year highly hyped comet underperformed, and so the astronomical community did not want outrageous expectations. They could have relaxed, as not only was Comet West bright enough to study by day, it was also observed to break up at perihelion into four distinct pieces, the first time in modern history such an occurrence was observed.

Comet Halley

Comet Halley is much better known as “Halley’s Comet”, and while it was named after the man who predicted its appearance- Edmond Halley- man has been aware of its existence since prehistoric times. Every 75 to 76 years Comet Halley reaches perihelion and is observable by Earth. The next such appearance will be in 2061.