May 19: Earth Passes Through the Tail of Halley’s Comet (1910)
Prayer Idea
Thank God for a wonderful universe that declares His glory.
History Note
People have been fascinated with comets since ancient times. Comets are celestial objects formed of frozen gases, ice, rock, and dust. As they orbit the sun, heat melts the frozen material. This leaves a trail of gas and dust behind the comet. The name comes from the Greek word meaning “hairy star”.
English astronomer Edmond Halley observed that comets which appeared in 1531, 1607, and 1682 had similar orbits around the sun. He believed that the same comet had appeared multiple times and predicted that it would appear again in 1758. Halley died in 1742, but his prediction was accurate. When the comet appeared in 1758, other astronomers named it in his honor.
Researchers have connected Halley’s comet with a comet observed by Chinese astronomers in 240 BC. Halley’s comet was also visible in 1066, the year the Normans conquered England. The comet is featured on the Bayeux Tapestry.
In 1910 Halley’s comet appeared again. People purchased telescopes and planned viewings from tall buildings. President William Howard Taft saw the comet from the U.S. Naval Observatory. On May 19 planet Earth passed through the comet’s tail. Some people were worried that the tail might contain poisonous gas, but there was no danger.
Halley’s comet should be visible from Earth again in 2061.
This is a photograph of Halley’s comet taken in April 1910 from Peru. Photo courtesy the Harvard College Observatory.
Learn More
Watch a quick video about Halley’s comet.
Please Note: The narrator says the comet has been in orbit for at least 16,000 years.
Find other resources at Homeschool History.
