What did Louis the Pious see in the night sky? A new interpretation of the Astronomer's account of Halley's Comet, 837
Scott Ashley
The passage of Halley's Comet through the skies above Earth in spring 837 was a spectacular event, with written records surviving from T'ang China, Heian Japan, Abbasid Caliphate and Carolingian empire. This article integrates all these sources, together findings modern historical astronomy, to revise famous account Vita Hludowici imperatoris emperor Louis Pious ‘Astronomer’ observing comet rooftops Aachen. It assesses how reliable early medieval witnesses were when describing natural world demonstrates that Astronomer able produce coherent description night sky. However, despite claims text, close analysis comparison Chinese observations reveals two men could not have been watching evening. Nevertheless, Astronomer's is sufficiently accurate effective alternative suggestions can be derived it.
Early Medieval Europe