When the world freaked out in 1910: Fake news about Halley’s Comet drove people to terror and despair

Imagine that you’re alive in 1910. The internet doesn’t exist. There is news of a rare comet that will be visible from Earth just at the end of springtime. It sounds spectacular. The comet - Halley’s Comet, to be precise - has occurred before with no grave consequences. But, a scientist reports suspicion that this comet may or may not wipe out all of humanity with toxic gases. Oh...

You may choose to ignore that news, as many did, or you may panic...as many others did. This is what happened when Halley’s Comet was expected to be visible from Earth in 1910.

The terror of Halley’s Comet of 1910

Back in the 1700s, an astronomer by the name of Edmond Halley predicted that three bright comets that were seen from Earth in the past, about 76 years apart, were actually the same comet, orbiting around periodically and appearing to our naked eye. He predicted that the comet would return in 1758, and indeed, although Halley was no longer around to see it, it did.

The comet is now known as Halley’s Comet and shows up about every 76 years, give or take a bit. Before this revelation, comets were associated with spiritual events, as people had no explanation for it. But Halley’s discovery along with the invention of the spectograph and better telescopes, allowed astronomers to understand that comets were simply rocks and dust, and they move around on their own time - not a God’s.

This helped to alleviate the fear of comets for the general public. That is, until 1910. Halley’s Comet was expected to make its appearance and this time, the Earth would be passing through its tail.

As the excitement leading up to the event in 1910 grew, a French astronomer named Camille Flammarion (known as the Carl Sagan of his time) put some rather bizarre theories recklessly out into the public. In an article in the Herald, Flammarion pondered on what might happen as the Earth traveled through the tail of the comet.

While he did preface the thoughts with the idea that anything happening at all is unlikely, his “what ifs” were what people fixated on. He wrote that the hydrogen in the comet’s tail may very well combine with the Earth’s atmosphere and strip away all the molecules allowing us to breathe and we’ll all choke to death. He also speculated that the humanity could be wiped out due to the toxins in its tail.

The carbonic acid may sear our lungs or create a reaction that causes a “diminution of nitrogen and an excess of oxygen” and extinguish “the human race … in a paroxysm of joy and delirium, probably delighted at their fate.”

No big deal.

At the end of the article, Flammarion makes sure to tell readers again that the fog from the tail will be insignificant and not to fret, but I’m not sure people were able to focus on that part after all that doomsday talk.

From there, the panic and fear only grew stronger. Another French astronomer speculated that the tail of Halley’s Comet might produce several X-Rays that would trigger all the Earth’s water vapor to condense at once and cause the biggest flood in the history of the planet.

To make matters worse still, several astronomers at the Yerkes Observatory in Wisconsin who were training telescopes on the comet announced that they’d detected cyanogen gas in the Halley’s tail. Cyanogen (C2N2) prevents cells from utilizing oxygen, thus killing anything in its path.

Of course, the media wanted to get Flammarion’s take on this revelation, so the New York Times reached out. That did little to quell people’s fears as the paper quoted him as saying, theoretically, the cyanogen could “impregnate the atmosphere and possibly snuff out all life on the planet.” The Times titled the article “Comet’s Poisonous Tail”.

The dire consequences of scientists' wild speculations

Unfortunately, the consequences of this speculation were severe. Some farmers refused to plant their crops, believing there would be no point if all of humanity is doomed to extinction. A “comet pill” was invented and sold as a way to make oneself immune to the comet’s toxins. Creditors defaulted on bank loans, living life to the fullest while they still could. “Comet insurance” was sold. Yes, really.

Some people sealed off their homes or sought refuge in sealed-off spaces underground. And in the worst cases, at least four countries reported suicides as a result of the terror.

In the end, Halley’s Comet made its appearance, and nothing drastic occurred. But the panic and fear leading up to it had dire consequences. The 1910 event is a testament to the very real indications of baseless speculation, as well as the widespread effect that can occur when the media spreads those speculations.

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