Hey guys....welcome back!!
As you have already seen the title, I wanna tell u how I got the idea to write about this one. As a kdrama fan, I have seen so many couple's lovey-dovey moments around comets and meteor showers and even them making wishes on the scenes. Crazily, that inspired me to search up the topic.... But what I found is insanely the opposite!!

As you all know, comets are a small solar system object consisting of ice, water, dust and carbon-silicon based compounds. It has a coma and one or more trails when it orbits close to sun and no coma or tail when distant. There is nothing regarding good or bad omens about them :D . Yet, looking way too back, there were people who believed the exact. 

The mere presence of comets on the sky filled dread, fear and awe in many ancient cultures and societies. Just getting to know how they used to see comets shows the dreadfulness our ancestors felt throughout the time. As these comets were regarded as both the messengers of Gods and omens of disaster, which were titled as 'the Harbinger of Doom' , also 'the Menace of the Universe'. In the present scenario, we can laugh at these beliefs and joke about it. But, have you ever wondered why did ancient people scare at the mere sight of comet?

To simply put, the ancient cultures' fear can be explained given the fact that comets, unlike most celestial objects travels in an unpredictable way. While other celestial objects move across the skies at regular and predictable intervals, comets' very erratic appearance made them believe that the gods are sending a message since they been watching their motions. As of the messages, ancient people read which by looking at the t shape of the comet. For instance: some interpreted the long tail of the comet as the head of a woman, with long flowing hair being her, which indicated sorrowness and was regarded as the gods were displeased. About the elongated comet which looked like a fiery sword blazing actors the night sky, it indicated war and death and is regarded as the gods are more likely to unleash their wrath onto the earth.

Apart from this, ancient legends also played an important role regarding the matter. The Roman prophecies known as 'Sibyllinr Oracles' and the Babylonian mythology called as 'Epic of Gilgamesh', both referred about comets as 'a great conflagration from sky falling to earth' and 'the cause of fire, brimstone and flood with its arrival' , respectively. A Mongolian legend even called comets 'the daughter of the devil'. Alone these citings prove the dread passed through generations regarding the image of comets amongst people. 

Although, some of the history's darkest times were also been blamed as the result of comets' passing. Halley's comet was blamed for earthquakes, illness and red rain in Switzerland. The same was blamed for bringing Black death in England. To cite one more, the Romans recorded that a fiery comet marked the assassination of Julius Caesar. Even Roman pope and Islam shunned comets as an instrument of the devil.

A true and clear understanding of comets and its influence on society during the time was possible to historians only through the records of the then Chinese people. Unlike western records, which only intertwined comets with natural disasters and troubles, Chinese astronomers kept detailed records on the appearance, paths and disappearance of hundreds of comets. Even atlases were found from Han dynasty period, in which they described comets as 'long-tailed pheasant stars' or 'broom stars'. Even though Chinese regarded comets as vile stars, their records helps modern astronomers to understand the true nature of comets.

Thanks to modern scientific approach, such evil concerns towards comets and other night sky objects have allayed gradually.
Thank you for reading. And don't forget to give a ❤️ and comment.