Piece of Halley's Comet | |
---|---|
“I am more and more confirmed that we have seen that Comett now three times, since ye Yeare 1531” - Halley, 1695 | |
Origin |
Halley’s Comet |
Type |
Icy Core |
Effects |
Increases coincidental happenings |
Downsides |
Effects can be fatal or long-reaching across populations |
Activation |
Enthalpic reaction |
Collected by |
Warehouse 13 |
Section |
|
Aisle |
609767-3078 |
Shelf |
164270-6556-914 |
Date of Collection |
December 3, 2002 |
[Source] |
Origin[]
Halley's Comet, Comet Halle, officially designated 1P/Halley, is a short-period comet visible from Earth every 75–79 years. Halley is the only known short-period comet that is regularly visible to the naked eye from Earth, and thus the only naked-eye comet that can appear twice in a human lifetime. It last appeared in the inner parts of the Solar System in 1986 and will next appear in mid-2061.
Halley's periodic returns to the inner Solar System have been observed and recorded by astronomers around the world since at least 240 BC. But it was not until 1705 that the English astronomer Edmond Halley understood that these appearances were re-appearances of the same comet. At various points in history, its appearance has potentially coincided or foretold ominous events. Notable points include:
- the death of Roman architect-general Marcus Agrippa
- possibly being the Star of Bethlehem at Christ’s birth
- mentioned in the 240 BC Chinese chronicle Records of the Grand Historian, the 1st century AD Tamil work Purananuru, the 1493 biblical encyclopedia the Nuremberg Chronicles and the Sikh holy text Guru Granth Sahib
- the defeat of Attila the Hun at the Battle of Chalons
- the Battle of Hastings where William the Conqueror claimed the English throne, also depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry
- the Ottoman invasion of Hungary in 1456 culminating in the siege of Belgrade
- witnessed by 15th century Ethiopian Emperor Zara Yaqob before establishing the capital
- observations of the comet path by Isaac Newton and Johannes Kepler
- Exacerbate Xinhai Revolution that would end the Qing dynasty in 1911
- The birth and death of Mark Twain on its appearances in 1835 and 1910
During its 1986 visit to the inner Solar System, Halley's Comet became the first comet observed in detail by spacecraft, providing the first observational data on the structure of a comet nucleus and the mechanism of coma and tail formation. These observations supported a number of longstanding hypotheses about comet construction, particularly Fred Whipple's "dirty snowball" model, which correctly predicted that Halley would be composed of a mixture of volatile ices—such as water, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and dust. The missions also provided data that substantially reformed and reconfigured these ideas; for instance, it is now understood that the surface of Halley is largely composed of dusty, non-volatile materials, and that only a small portion of it is icy.
This portion was caught in a flyby expedition in the 1980s under the Soviet Vega program to observe Venus and the passing comet. It’s thought some of the ice separated from the main core and clung to the outside craft without sublimating into vapor. A smaller sample was taken inside and studied under scientific laboratories until its effects triggered.
Effects[]
Causes events of greater randomness to coincide together, or within closer proximity to another. Unrelated events such as accidents will occur to make discoveries, notable figures and other unexpected changes to happen together. Appears to target individuals with a famed reputation more negatively than the average person. Does not appear to directly harm, save or predict anything, merely bring together disparate elements into something bigger.
Appearances[]
Mentioned in the tie-in novel Warehouse 13: A Touch of Fever. Seen by Claudia when she ran from the Nisqually Totem Pole.