The Bayeux Tapestry - oldest depiction of Halley’s Comet.
The Bayeux Tapestry - oldest depiction of Halley’s Comet.
The tapestry portrays 58 scenes that document the conquest of England by the Normans in 1066. It is likely the oldest depiction of Halley’s Comet, which passed its perihelion at the time of the Battle of Hastings on 14 October. In the following scene, King Harold, vanquished in battle, asks whether he should consider the comet a harbinger of doom.
Credit:
ESA / D. Pazos - CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0.