Astronomers unravel a mystery of the Dark Ages

[Ivan Seeking]

Undergraduates' work blames comet for 6th-century 'nuclear winter'

Scientists at Cardiff University, UK, believe they have discovered the cause of crop failures and summer frosts some 1,500 years ago – a comet colliding with Earth.

The team has been studying evidence from tree rings, which suggests that the Earth underwent a series of very cold summers around 536-540 AD, indicating an effect rather like a nuclear winter.

The scientists in the School of Physics and Astronomy believe this was caused by a comet hitting the Earth and exploding in the upper atmosphere. The debris from this giant explosion was such that it enveloped the Earth in soot and ash, blocking out the sunlight and causing the very cold weather.[continued]

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-02/cu-aua020304.php

 

[theurinal]

Hey, Cool.

amaxing what our tech and research can find out.

 

[the_truth]

They originally thought it was a volcanoe.

Astronomers 1
Geologists 0

 

[russ_watters]

Originally posted by the_truth
They originally thought it was a volcanoe.

Astronomers 1
Geologists 0

Hmm. Astronomers think it was a comet, geologists think it was a volcano - go figure.

 

[the_truth]

ok then, for being wrong the geologists lose a point.

 

[franznietzsche]

I wonder if any records survive. We have access to roman records that were older if i am not mistaken, therefore it is not unconceivable that european monks of the day might have had records documenting such an incident (i assume we know of the crop failures from similar records). Or if it hit somewhere else records could be found in Asia.. i think that's the same time as the Tang dynasty, which should also have surviving records. It would be interesting to see some kind of confirmation from ancient records describing what would probably be referred to as a "wrath of god" event. At any rate its pretty interesting stuff.