Comet Halley – science in danger of being eclipsed by marketing

The visit of a comet to our skies is always a special astronomical event. Such visits have been recorded over many centuries and permit scientists a glimpse into a very different astronomical world than that normally visible. The public view can often be very different and one famous quote was that “there never was a comet without a disaster, nor a disaster without a comet”.

So this story is partially about how the media promotes the visit of a comet, plus the production of so many “collectibles” that the transits of Comet Halley generated in 1910 and 1986. They were quite possibly the most over-hyped astronomical events of the 20th century!

The danger is that science can get lost in all the song & dance and ultimately may even get undermined in the public’s confidence if reality doesn’t live up to the hype.

These two talks will, of course, be science-based, with the aim of explaining why comets are actually such exciting, often unexpected astronomical events. But with a less serious look, on the side, of the plethora of things you were encouraged to spend your money on.

Talk 1 – Halley’s Comet 1910

In this talk I will introduce comets in general. Where they come from & why they are often unpredictable. I will discuss their possible role in transferring the ingredients of life around the solar system.

Then we will focus on Halley’s Comet. Its historical record (Bayeux Tapestry, Giotto’s chapel ceiling in Padua, Chinese records of 350 BC etc).

After that we will look its 1910 visit. This is the start of mass hysteria whipped up by the media of the time. How Europe & the USA prepared the public for the arrival of the comet – lots of cartoon illustrations in the newspapers, the selling of anti-comet pills, warnings of possible natural disasters etc etc.

But amongst the chaos, we get the first pictures of this famous comet.

Talk 2 – Halley’s Comet 1986

In the mid-1980s the world prepared again for the arrival of the famous cosmic visitor.

This preparation included the explosion of postage stamps that over 30 countries issued - special mosaics of stamps to mark the event, heavily illustrated with artistic concepts, science ideas, technological achievements (eg satellites & telescopes) and overlaid with politics (specifically the huge rivalry between the Cold War factions that existed at that time). In addition, we have the arrival of the astronomical collectibles: teaspoons, hip flasks, match boxes, paper weights, pin badges, plates etc etc. Lots of different items for us to take a fun passing look at.

But what did astronomers actually learn from this cometary visit? The science generated was huge. Several satellite observatories were sent to take a close look as it flew by, generating the first images of the “dirty snowball” hypothesis for comets. In addition, there were countless observations from telescopes around the world.

So though the 1986 visit turned out to be very disappointing to most of the public – just a faint smudge in the night sky – it was a fantastic opportunity to learn so much more about this cosmic visitor that had been seen often in our skies over many centuries.