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Did Halley’s Comet Cause A Famine 1,500 Years Ago? Dust From Cosmic Body Cooled Earth’s Atmosphere And Caused Devastating Crop Failures
Saturday, December 21, 2013 15:03
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- Comet threw up dust into atmosphere causing planet to cool in 536 AD
- Temperature dropped by as much as 3°C leading to drought and famine
- Scientists claim this made humanity more susceptible to Justinian’s plague
- The plague was the first recorded appearance of the Black Death in Europe
Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 12:20 EST, 20 December 2013 | UPDATED: 12:24 EST, 20 December 2013
While today’s stargazers eagerly anticipate comets, ancient cultures often branded them as ‘harbingers of doom’.
Now a U.S. study suggests that people living 1,500 years ago may have had good reason for fearing these celestial objects.
Scientists claim they can link Halley’s comet to a devastating famine that occurred in 536 AD.
Scientists claim they can link the famous Halley’s comet to a devastating famine that occurred 536 AD
The comet, they say, caused a change in climate when it hit, throwing up enough dust into the atmosphere to cause the planet to cool significantly.
This led to a period of widespread drought, crop failures and famine.
