ASG Public Lecture October: Fear and loathing in the Heavens: The 1910 Return of Halley's Comet

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This year the ASG is back at its usual venue at the University of Strathclyde and in the second lecture, Dr. Richard J. Goodrich will be discussing "Fear and loathing in the Heavens: The 1910 Return of Halley's Comet."

The lecture will take place at 7.30 pm on Thursday 19th October in Room 6.41 of the Royal College (James Weir) Building (entrance halfway up Montrose Street).

 

In 1705, Edmond Halley liberated humanity from the belief that comets were portents of doom; two centuries later, in 1910, as Halley’s Comet returned to perihelion, newspapers and magazines, religious leaders, misguided theorists, and shameless grifters managed to rekindle that fear. When astronomers announced that the earth would pass through the comet’s tail, opportunists exploited human anxiety — often with fatal consequences.

Join Dr. Richard J. Goodrich, author of Comet Madness: How the 1910 Return of Halley’s Comet (almost) Destroyed Civilization, for an entertaining lecture about the comet’s 1910 return and the reasons that many believed the earth would not survive the encounter.

Bio:  Richard J. Goodrich (Ph.D., University of St Andrews) is an author and historian. After twenty years teaching in British and US universities, Richard resigned his position to pursue a full-time writing career. His interests range from Ancient History (the Roman Empire and early Church history) to the modern age. Learn more at his website: https://RichardJGoodrich.com

 

Like before, we will meet at the GCU union at 7pm and head up to Strathclyde!

Map Available Here: https://osm.org/go/evW~jk20?m=

Location: Royal College Room 6.41, Strathckyde Uni, 7:30

Discord Event Link: https://discord.gg/NDATnYPX?event=1159055569416626226