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More bad news Comets have been blamed for all kinds of disasters. Roman writers said they caused wars. In the Middle Ages, it was said that comets always appeared when kings and princes died. This certainly proved true in

∆ The Bayeux tapestry shows the comet of 1066 above King Harold on the throne of England.

1066, when a comet appeared in the sky at the time of the Battle of Hastings. King Harold and the English army were fighting the invading Norman army led by William the Conqueror. The English lost the battle after Harold was killed. The 1066 comet later proved to be a regular visitor to Earth’s skies. It is now known as Halley's Comet.

Epidemics from space Some astronomers have suggested that comets carry tiny primitive organisms (life forms), such as bacteria and viruses. As they pass near to the Sun, the microorganisms drift into space. In time they enter the Earth's atmosphere and cause worldwide epidemics, such as influenza. The fall of the Aztecs In Mexico in 1519, Montezuma, the Aztec king, saw two brilliant comets. He took this as a sign that the white-bearded god Quetzalcoatl was coming. Not long after, the bearded Hernan Cortés arrived with his Spanish soldiers. Thinking that Cortés was the god, Montezuma welcomed him. But, within a short time, the Spaniards had all but wiped out the Aztec civilization.

∆ Edmond Halley realized that some comets visit our skies regularly.

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