Why did people used to fear comets?

Answer 1

When Halley's Comet passed in the early XXth Century, there was just enough science to analyze the chemical content of the tail, but not enough scientific familiarity in the general population to make sound evaluations about scientific findings.

It happened that spectrography showed the comet's tail, through which the Earth would pass, contained hydrogen cyanide, which everybody knew was a poison. What they failed to appreciate was the extremely low concentration of it.

Of course, there's a long history of comets scaring people, as folks are used to a very steady and unchanging sky and anything that goes "wrong," such as a comet or an eclipse, simply MUST be cause for concern.

Answer 2

Throughout history, very few people have been afraid of a comet striking them; their fear, as irrational as it was, was that the comet was a supernatural OMEN; a signal from the gods that terrible things were about to happen.

Later, as fears of the supernatural subsided and comets came to be understood as the astronomical objects that they are, the fear became that the gas and mist of the comet were a rain of poison that would poison the world.

Answer 3

People used to fear comets because they appeared unexpectedly in the sky, often being seen as omens of disaster or change. Their unusual appearance and unpredictability led to superstitions about them being harbingers of doom.

Answer 4

Well, Here in India, people thought of them as a result of their bad deeds. They thought as if they are punished by God from the sky.

Answer 5

They were associated with catastrophes because of superstition. Its like people think it is unlucky when they see a black cat.

Answer 6

because they thought thatgod was angry with them and that's why they were scared

Answer 7

a long time ago it was a bad omen. in 15066 halleys comet appeared. later that year king Harold was killed.

Answer 8

The ancients viewed comets as being visitations from the gods. As such, they were greatly feared and interpreted as being bringers of death and destruction.

Answer 9

hehehe