Research Suggests That An 11th-Century Monk Discovered Halley’s Comet 600 Years Before Astronomer Edmond Halley
Halley's Comet is named after Edmond Halley, the British astronomer who first identified it as a periodic comet in the 18th century — but new research has revealed that a monk named Eilmer of Malmesbury actually discovered the comet's cyclical appearance 600 years earlier.
By Austin Harvey
•
Jan 26, 2026
News
Research Suggests That An 11th-Century Monk Discovered Halley’s Comet 600 Years Before Astronomer Edmond Halley
Halley's Comet is named after Edmond Halley, the British astronomer who first identified it as a periodic comet in the 18th century — but new research has revealed that a monk named Eilmer of Malmesbury actually discovered the comet's cyclical appearance 600 years earlier.
By Austin Harvey
•
January 26, 2026