The Comet's Tale - BBC

The Comet's Tale ©BBC UK
Ancient civilisations thought comets were Gods. They believed them to be bringers of life or harbingers of doom - these strange, magical, mysterious things that moved through the sky, fiery streaks of light that tore across the heavens.
Isaac Newton was the first to make sense of comets and to him they were the key to unlocking the secrets of gravity - nothing to do with an apple. Hundreds of years later a new breed of space missions are visiting comets, travelling millions of miles to touch down on these tiny balls of rock flying through space at 20,000 mph. The spectacular images we now have are showing us what comets are really made of, where they come from and their often surprising influence on events on the Earth.
What they reveal is that our ancestors may have been right all along and that comets and meteors really are like gods. They have brought terrible destruction to the Earth and may one day do so again. But they also may have brought life itself.
Producer
Michael Lachmann
Producer
Matthew Barrett

[@oimate3]

Im glad I was lucky enough to see two comets in my lifetime

[@loopy7057]

I have seen Hale Bop and McNaught..which ones did you see? Comet Swan is apparently visible just before sunrise at the moment

[@community1949]

Can anyone imagine what the sky used to look like without any artificial lighting? It must have been unbelievable.

[@chrisnorman1183]

Ahhhh what? their are still places in the world classed as 1 in the Bortle scale. AKA how fark the sky is.

[@blackholeentry3489]

Nancy Desch I grew up in the early 50s in rural Oregon. Truly dark skies and I learned the night sky there. Guess I was truly blessed.

[@binniparis8024]

Brilliantly explained to an uneducated woman and very entertaining.
Thanks.
Binni.

[@binniparis8024]

When is next comment due?
Xx

[@binniparis8024]

So sad, so sad.. devils gate! Xx

[@mitzukhinj088]

Great job guys 👏🏿👏🏿

[@rickdeckard4213]

If anyone is wondering what that beautiful piece of music that starts at 30.20 is! Well it's called - Blessed (Ave Maria) by the APM Symphony Orchestra from the album Ave Maria: The Ultimate Collection - Over 20 Versions of the Timeless Classic. It's on iTunes if you want it. ;-)

[@rickdeckard4213]

Goosebumps, goosebumps all over.

[@rickdeckard4213]

Fawad Rahimi I've got Blessed (Ave Marie) if you want a copy.

[@rickdeckard4213]

No problem Fawad mate, I'm here if you want it. ;-)

[@chrisnewcastle61]

thank you Rick. That's exactly what I came here for, hoping someone would know. Have a beer on me!

[@milahbimilah298]

Comets are also mentioned in Quran . The word MATAR ( rain shower ) seemed to be derived from the Greek word METEORA ( Things flying in the sky )
METEORA is as same as the arabic expression MA YATER = EVRYTHING THAT FLIES ( مايطير )
وأنزلنا عليهم مطر السوء " / الشوء "
" And we showered upon them a rain of burning flames / METEORE " .
That implies that all civilisations had mentioned the COMETS in their writings . METEORES as well as FLOODS and DEVASTING STORMS were considered as punishment and wrath of gods .

[@glennthomas6827]

17.:39 any ideas what the black object is that appears to be orbiting in a circular fashion around a point??

[@teaburg]

Could be a satellite.

[@TheLonesomeBricoleur]

My guess is a bad pixel in the imaging sensor

[@MichSignMan]

Has this comet lover actually insinuated that King Arthur was a fricking comet? wtf what an imagination he has....

[@ilhamkiayi25]

permitt to download this please

[@billscannell93]

Funny how people have always assumed that everything happening in the sky has had to do with them. Signs of war, death, doom... Now we know it is just rocks falling mindlessly around according to the laws of nature. (Some of us know that, anyway.)

[@DJenser]

37:20 Actually, those ice cores show that the volcanic eruption occurred four years earlier in 536AD.

[@itrthho]

Yes, in 536 A.D., a caldera beneath Lake Ilopango in El Salvador erupted, raining destruction on the Mayan people below. It went on to have devastating consequences worldwide.

[@markmitchell450]

535 was when krackatora in Indonesia erupted

[@Lilon8r]

I read that book and would recommend it also. It was a very interesting read.

[@damiensuil2183]

mostly accurate and thought provoking documentary

[@BehindDesign]

Does anyone know the song in the minute 20:13

[@Carlos-jv1jk]

Es de Paul Pritchard - Imagine.
A mí también me gusta, esta pieza me transmite optimismo.

[@gordonwiessner6327]

Asteroids, comets, meteors... etc, whatever.'..

[@heavycloud9545]

What's the song that starts at 30:33? It's beautiful

[@stevenlitson3369]

Blessed by Henry Jackman

[@barbaramazer2093]

Can anyone name the music tracks at 15:35 and 41:12?

[@brewjays]

Tunguska was an asteroid, NOT a comet. Ditto for Chelyabinsk. Asteroids strikes are 100 times more frequent than comets. Until we have mapped all the asteroids orbits, comets are secondary in turns of danger.

[@markmitchell450]

Asteroids comets what's the difference
If one big enough struck earth we've problens
I think what your trying to say is asteroids are less predictable where's comets tend to have long regular orbits

[@philipmcdonagh1094]

So lets get this straight Newton was hit in the head by a comet not an apple. Must have had some thick head.

[@user-ip2ox2rq3m]

7 Years later- Comet.

[@mervyn-xd4sw]

Saw halleys comet in the 80s I think 2060 is next time

[@ukidding]

comet's tale...nice pun

[@ThePEdu74]

si toi aussi tu regardes cette vidéo pour la dnl like ce commentaire !! 😉

[@kidmohair8151]

60 million tons a year is a not insubstantial amount of stuff
how much does the planet lose in a year?
if the planet gets heavier at that rate
it will get farther away from the sun, no?
imperceptibly to us perhaps but....

[@samaelain1197]

Samael Aun Weor

[@kaenlaithai]

High Definition ?

[@realitycheck3363]

20:49 Dang, she was spitting mad, yet weirdly looks calm.
Say it, don't spray it.

[@JustCallMeEyaa]

Civilasat

[@pacificrules]

LOL!!... another freak.