Comet's Tale: History/Exploration
DATE: 1587 CE
  

Comet types Argentum (left), and Aurora, thought to presage abundance and famine/wars/firesLondon, The Warburg Institute 

These paintings from the year 1587 show two kinds of comets. By the 1500's, people had noticed that all comets do not look alike. They observed the sky, recorded what they saw, and tried to explain why there seemed to be different kinds of comets. They thought one type of comet would bring peace and abundance while another would bring sickness, wars, and the burning of houses.  

Comets don't normally enter the Earth's atmosphere. People discovered this with the use of telescopes invented in the 16th century (1500's). But is it possible that a comet could hit the earth? What would happen then? Do you think it has already happened? 

 

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