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Ancient Comets

Perhaps the earliest record of a comet sighting is in China in 1059 B.C.  At that time, two kings named Wu-Wang and Chou Hsin were engaged in a war over territory.  The Chinese astrological history relates a story of how a comet appeared in the sky during the clash of these two men, symbolizing the epic power struggle between the two kings.

Another comet sighting in the early days of civilization was in 974 B.C.  This comet may have Biblical significance, as it seems to coincide with David’s account of a sword hung over Jerusalem around the same time:

    And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord standing between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. (I Chronicles 21:16)

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Classical Comets


Aristotle and Ptolemy

For a long time in classical Greece, comets were not considered to be celestial objects.  Both Aristotle and Ptolemy, considered the leading astronomers of their time, did not equate comets with heavenly bodies.  Instead, Aristotle considered them to be terrestrial objects formed in the atmosphere. Ptolemy did not mention them in his astronomical masterwork, the Almagest.

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Medieval Comets


Woodcut of Townspeople Observing the Great Comet of 1577

The most notable occurrence of the medieval ages in regard to comets was the Great Comet of 1577.  It was an abnormally bright comet which was visible from Earth for a period of approximately 74 days.  This event is notable not only for the brilliance of the comet’s appearance, but also because several astronomers used various methods to disprove the theories put forth by Ptolemy and Aristotle.  These figures include Michael Mästlin, who used rudimentary parallax calculations to determine that comets were in fact celestial objects; Tycho Brahe, who was able to determine the position of the comet with greater  (but still vague) accuracy in addition to determining that the orbit of the comet was not circular, but oblong; and William IV, Landgrave of Hesse Cassel, whose own observations were used in conjunction with those of Brahe in validating his theory of the position of the comet being far beyond the moon.


 Tycho Brahe

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A link between comets and meteor showers was suspected for a long time, but was only seriously considered by astronomers after the meteor shower of November 27, 1872.  The shower was recognized as debris from the Comet Biela.  Following this identification, the Leonid and Perseid showers were both discovered to be linked to the Earth passing through the path of comets.  Among the influential people in determining this were Denison Olmsted, who observed that the Leonids seemed to be originating from the same place in the sky; Urbain La Verrier, who first linked the orbital period of the Leonids with the orbit of a comet; and Carl F. W. Peters, who successfully identified that the Leonids were remnants from Oppolzer’s comet.

http://galacticghosts.blogspot.com/

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4.             
When: 15/16 BCE,  most likely sometime between March and December
What: A comet
Associated historical events: 1. After Agrippa died.  2. Yeshua’s birth / Quirinius – at the time of the census / Augustus

5.             
When: 9 BCE “Nov 28  18:41 t” - UT
What: A total lunar eclipse
Associated historical event: Herod the Great died within a few months of a lunar eclipse

6.             
When: 10 CE June 30 at 11:19 hours (time of greatest eclipse).
What: A total solar eclipse, though only visible as partial over the Roman Empire
Associated historical event: Solar eclipse prior to the death of Augustus

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10. & 11.           
When: 46 & 49 CE
What: 2 comets
Associated historical event: Nero killed aristocrats in order to try to prevent the omens perceived in these comets.

12.
When: 54 CE seen between June 9 and July 9
What: A comet (preceding two apparent lunar eclipses within 3 days…)
Associated historical event: Comet and lunar eclipses reported by Dio during the reign of Vitellius

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17.
When: 60 CE in August
What: A comet
Associated historical event: Titus Imperator Caesar in his 5th consulship wrote an account in his famous poem” about a comet

18.
When: 65/66 CE - Jan.-April of A.D. 66 & July-Sept.  A.D. 65
What: A comet [and eclipses - Cf. #‎13 above!]- Halley’s Comet (Jan.-April of A.D. 66) and another “long-tailed star” (July-Sept.) A.D. 65.
Associated historical event: A comet observed prior to the death of Vespasian

more at http://adamoh.org/TreeOfLife.lan.io/NTCh/CometsAndEclipsesCorrelatedWithHistoricalRecords.htm

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