Halley’s comet may need a new, medieval name
One of the most recognizable comets in astronomy might need a rebranding. But even though everyone continues to call the famous space rock Halley’s Comet, some researchers say an eccentric 11th-century monk deserves at least a few credit. According to a study of historical documents, including the famous Bayeux Tapestry, a team from Leiden University in the Netherlands believes it makes more sense to name the icy space rock after Ethelmaer of Malmesbury, a member of the Order of St. Benedict who also lived with an unfortunate fascination with flight.
Every 76 years, a comet from the depths of our solar system reaches its closest point to Earth. Its orbit, however, is anything but new. Chinese observers recorded the appearance of a bright light traveling east to north in the night sky as early as 240 BCE, while the Roman historian Cassius Dio described a similar sonic event in 12 BCE. It was not until 1705 that the English astronomer Edmond Halley concluded that these regularly recurring objects were not different objects, but a single comet traveling along a predictable path. Today, its discovery is reflected in both the comet’s common name as well as its official classification, 1P/Halley.
But if a Really wanted to name the comet after the first person in England to notice its significance, some astronomers recommend that this honor be given to Aethelmaer of Malmesbury. Also known as Eilmer, the Benedictine monk was already an elderly resident of his abbey when Halley’s Comet returned in 1066 CE. However, this particular observation was of particular importance because it is documented on the famous (and bawdy) Bayeux Tapestry. The 770-pound scroll depicts the events surrounding the Battle of Hastings, during which William II invaded England from Normandy, France. The embroidered art also illustrates William II’s victory, as well as his short-lived reign before the last Anglo-Saxon king died in battle.
King William should have seen his demise coming, according to medieval omen experts of his time. Halley’s Comet appeared shortly after his accession to the throne, and everyone at the time knew such cosmic observations warned of impending disaster. Everyone, including the monk Eilmer.
Simon Zwart, an astronomer at Leiden University in the Netherlands, realized this while examining the writings of the 12th-century chronicler William of Malmesbury. According to William, when Halley’s Comet lit up the sky in 1066 CE, it also noted Eilmer’s memory. The monk remembers first seeing the same event about 76 years earlier, in 989 CE.
Based on this account, it was not technically Edmond Halley who first proposed that the comet reappears regularly. Then again, it is somewhat understandable that Eilmer’s claims have not gained traction. After all, this was the monk who is otherwise best known for attempting to fly after reading the Greek myth of Daedalus as a child. To test his own theories, young Eilmer attached a set of makeshift wings to his hands and feet, then jumped from a tower at Malmesbury Abbey. This confident leap of faith – although ill-advised – broke both of his legs and left him incapacitated for the rest of his life.
“He was accustomed to regard as the cause of his failure his forgetting to provide himself with a tail,” his friend William later wrote.
The best new PopSci 2025 releases
