Halley's Comet Will Gas Us All
Earth Passes Through Comet's Tail, Remains Unsnuffed
A famous astronomer was reported as saying the tail's cyanogen might 'snuff out all life'. Comet-pill sellers had a great spring.
What was said
“would impregnate that atmosphere and possibly snuff out all life on the planet”
— Camille Flammarion (as reported by The New York Times), plus a very excited press · said Feb 1910 · due May 19, 1910 (Earth passes through the tail)
Earth sailed through the comet's tail on May 19, 1910. The main casualties were wallets spent on gas masks and quack 'comet pills'.
The Story
Yerkes Observatory found cyanogen gas in the comet's tail in February 1910. Smithsonian magazine says The New York Times reported that Flammarion believed the gas 'would impregnate that atmosphere and possibly snuff out all life on the planet.'
Most astronomers reassured the public (Percival Lowell said the tail gases were 'so rarefied as to be thinner than any vacuum'). The quote is Flammarion's view as reported by the Times, not a transcript.
Receipts
- Ten Notable Apocalypses That (Obviously) Didn't Happen - Smithsonian Magazineaccessed 2026-09-29
- Halley's Comet (1910 section) - Wikipediaaccessed 2026-09-29
As of Oct 9, 2026
since it didn't happen
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