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Health & Science3h 52m ago
University of Leicester historian James Aitcheson suggests that Eilmer of Malmesbury, a monk known for an early flight attempt, likely saw two different comets in his lifetime rather than two appearances of Halley's Comet.
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Malmesbury, England
Who
Eilmer of Malmesbury, William of Malmesbury, James Aitcheson
What
University of Leicester historian James Aitcheson suggests that Eilmer of Malmesbury, a monk known for an early flight attempt, likely saw two different comets in his lifetime rather than two appearances of Halley's Comet.
When
Sun, 14 Jun 2026 16:02:53 GMT · 3h 52m ago
Where
Malmesbury, England ·
Why
Eilmer, active in the 11th century, was recorded by William of Malmesbury as having seen Halley's Comet in 1066 and another celestial event earlier, leading to speculation about his astronomical observations.
The Frontline Impact
How this affects you
This historical reinterpretation challenges the idea that Eilmer understood the periodicity of Halley's Comet centuries before Edmund Halley, altering our understanding of early medieval astronomy and Eilmer's specific contributions.
Story chain
8 events in this thread- Health & Science3h 52m agoJames Aitcheson of the University of Leicester argues that medieval monk Eilmer of Malmesbury likely saw the comet of 1018, not an earlier pass of Halley's Comet in 989, thereby challenging recent speculation about Eilmer's understanding of comet periodicity.Open article
- Health & Science3h 52m agoJames Aitcheson of the University of Leicester suggests that Eilmer of Malmesbury may have seen a different comet in 1018, rather than an earlier fly-by of Halley's Comet.Open article
- Health & Science3h 52m agoUniversity of Leicester historian James Aitcheson argues that the Benedictine monk Eilmer of Malmesbury likely saw two different comets, rather than Halley's Comet twice, challenging previous assumptions.Open article
- Health & Science3h 52m agoA historian from the University of Leicester suggests that Eilmer of Malmesbury, a Benedictine monk, may have seen two different comets in his lifetime, rather than Halley's Comet twice.Open article
- Health & Science3h 52m agoJames Aitcheson of the University of Leicester argues that Eilmer of Malmesbury may have seen a different comet altogether in his youth—the comet of 1018, not Halley's Comet in 989.Open article
- Currently Reading3h 52m agoUniversity of Leicester historian James Aitcheson suggests that Eilmer of Malmesbury, a monk known for an early flight attempt, likely saw two different comets in his lifetime rather than two appearances of Halley's Comet.
- Health & Science3h 52m agoUniversity of Leicester historian James Aitcheson suggests that the medieval monk Eilmer of Malmesbury may have seen two different comets, rather than Halley's Comet twice, challenging recent speculation.Open article
- Health & Science3h 52m agoHistorian James Aitcheson argues in a new paper that the medieval monk Eilmer of Malmesbury likely saw two different comets in his lifetime, rather than two appearances of Halley's Comet.Open article