Researchers say the famous comet known as Halley’s Comet may have been repeatedly identified as a celestial object centuries before British astronomer Edmund Halley gave it its name. According to new research involving Professor Simon Porteghese Zwart, an English monk named Aylmer of Malmesbury appears to have noticed the same comet returning to the sky after decades away in the 11th century.
This discovery is based on a description written by 12th century historian William of Malmesbury. Scholars have known about the description for some time, but say its significance has been overlooked until now. Porgies-Zwart and researcher Lewis claim that the monk, also known as Ethelmar, witnessed two separate comet appearances and understood that they were related events.
Their work is published in the book Dorestad and Everything After. European ports, cityscapes, travelers, 800-1100 minutes.
Edmund Halley and the famous comet
Edmund Halley later became famous for identifying the periodicity of a bright comet now officially called 1P/Halley. He concluded that the comets recorded in 1531, 1607, and 1682 were actually the same celestial object that returned approximately every 76 years.
This discovery eventually led to a comet being named after him.
Halley’s Comet over medieval Europe
The appearance of the comet in 1066 attracted attention all over the world. According to historical records, it was observed in China for more than two months. The comet reached its peak brightness on April 22, 1066, but was not visible over Brittany and the British Isles until April 24.
The comet became one of the most famous symbols associated with 1066 and also appears in the Bayeux Tapestry, a medieval artwork depicting the Norman conquest of England.
Medieval horrors and royal harbingers
Halley’s Comet crossed the sky during the short reign of King Harold Godwinson, who ruled England from January 6 to October 14, 1066. Porgies Zwart and Lewis’s research found references to five comet sightings during the surrounding centuries.
At the time, comets were widely seen as warnings of disaster. Oral tradition associated them with famine, war, and the death of kings throughout the British Isles. Researchers also point to reports of another comet associated with the death of Sigeric, Archbishop of Canterbury in 995, although no such comet appears in extant chronicles. They suggest this may represent a type of medieval “fake news”, or perhaps an exaggerated story intended to scare people with warnings of damnation.
By 1066 Aylmer (or Ethelmer) of Malmesbury may have already become an old man. As the king watched the comet return, he reportedly realized that he had witnessed the same celestial object decades earlier, in 989. As was often the case in the Middle Ages, kings were warned that comets portended an impending catastrophe.
Call for reconsideration of comet name
Researchers believe that the comet’s history raises questions about whether it should continue to bear the Halley name, as early observers may have already noticed its repeated occurrences centuries before their study of Comet Halley.
“We really enjoyed this research, but it was also difficult to work on such an interdisciplinary project with historians,” said Porgies-Zwart. “Nonetheless, we intend to do further research on periodic comets of this type.”
