For centuries, the emergence of comets has been linked to upcoming natural cataclysms and disasters, as well as various strokes of bad luck. For so long, people were afraid of these tailed stars and even the brightest thinkers of the time were highly puzzled by comets - they appeared out of nowhere and vanished who knows where. The fear of comets was immense but it had its own logical reasons for existing.
According to some researchers, the panic caused by these celestial phenomena was due to a series of unfortunate events. Back in the year 530, a chunk of Halley's Comet broke apart in Earth's atmosphere, producing a huge dust cloud, in turn causing a sudden drop in temperatures. Then came a severe drought and famine, while those that survived died from the so-called Plague of Justinian.
Halley's Comet passes by Earth every 76 years but during the 6th century it was exceptionally bright and its passing was a spectacular sight to behold. People in ancient times linked the passage of comets solely with horror and disasters but in modern times science has given us a logical explanation regarding these objects and there's really no reason for panic. Simply put, comets are composed of ice, dust and rock and pose no threat to mankind.
