DO SUPERSTITIONS ABOUT COMETS, ASTEROIDS AND METEORS HAVE
SCIENTIFIC BASIS?
SUPERSTITIONS
In the Philippines, it is believed that a comet is
just a disguise for the bird God “Bulalakaw” when he
visits the Earth.
Some people in the Philippines believe that a
passing meteor is a shooting star or a wishing rock.
In the old days, Filipino citizens believed that the
appearance of a comet is a message that a war is
coming.
People in London fear comets for they believe that
it is a sign of death hence the name they gave the
comets : The Black Death.
In the old days meteorites were often used for
building sacred Greek and Roman temples.
Meteorites have been found in Indian graves, and
many other cultures have been known to worship
these “heavenly gifts”. Some indigenous tribes still
do
In the Netherlands, old people still believe that a
meteor passing is a sign of bad omen that will lead to
Earth’s destruction.
SCIENTIFIC BASIS
This is only a myth believed by Filipino ancestors
and therefore this superstition has no scientific basis.
There is no scientific basis for this superstition.
Based on a record in the 19th century, the Philippines
has never witnessed a comet passing by. This
superstition was just adapted by the citizens from
neighboring countries.
In 1665 about a quarter of London’s population was
killed by “The Black Death”, also known as The
Plague. One year later The Great Fire of London
ruined the lives of many and left the city in ashes.
The comets that were spotted in 1664 and 1665 were
later seen as a prophecy of these terrible events,
which is why these “omens from the skies” were
feared by many in the 17th century.
A well-known example of the presumed mystical
powers of meteorites is the “Kris”; a dagger used in
Indonesia. It is thought that when a Kris is made
from nickel from the 1749 meteorite near Prambanan,
one only needs to point the dagger to another person
in order to kill.
Both meteors and meteorites can become natural
hazards to the communities they impact. Very large
meteors called bolides may explode in the
atmosphere with the force of 500 kilotons of TNT.
These meteors and the shock waves they produce
may cause burns and even death, as well as damage
to buildings and crops. An actual impact—where part
of the space rock actually crashes into Earth—can be
even more catastrophic.