This document discusses depictions of Halley's Comet in Native American rock art from the southwestern United States. It describes how ancestral Pueblo peoples who lived in New Mexico between the 13th and 15th centuries likely witnessed the appearances of Halley's Comet in 1066, 1301, and 1456. Their rock art features symbols that evolved from simple stars and birds into anthropomorphized figures wearing star headdresses, reflecting their observations and interpretations of the comet. This suggests Halley's Comet was an important astronomical phenomenon in their culture that influenced their artistic traditions.

1. DEPICTIONS OF HALLEY’S COMET
IN NATIVE AMERICAN ROCK ART
© Peter Faris, 2008
Photo: Halley’s comet, 1910, computer enhanced.

2. NOTABLE HISTORIC APPEARANCES
OF HALLEY’S COMET.
AD 1066: Records indicate that Halley’s comet was four times
larger than Venus, and it shone with a light equal to a quarter of
that of the moon. This appearance was also recorded in the
Bayeaux Tapestry.
AD 1301: Observed by Italian painter Giotto di Bondone, he used
Halley’s Comet as the Star of Bethlehem in his Nativity Scene in
the Arena Chapel, Padua, Italy, completed in 1305.
AD 1456: This close approach was seen as saber-like in form. The
tail of the comet extended over 60 degrees of the sky.

3. Bayeaux
Tapestry,
A.D.1066
Interpreted as a bad omen by King Harold of England, and a
good omen by Duke William of Normandy, the 1066
appearance of Halley’s Comet predicted the Norman
conquest of England.

4. Penasco Blanco trail, Chaco
Canyon, New Mexico.
The upper figures are often identified
as a depiction of the Supernova of
AD 1054.
On the cliff below in faded paint can
be seen the definite form of a large
comet.

5. The AD 1054 Supernova explosion resulted in today’s
Crab Nebula.

6. Field sketch of comet from Penasco Blanco
trail, Chaco Canyon, NM, 1997.

7. 12 years after the explosion of the
Crab Nebula supernova in AD
1054, the AD 1066 appearance of
Halley’s Comet was recorded on
the cliff below.

8. The AD 1301 appearance of
Halley’s Comet was recorded
as the star of Bethlehem in
Giotto de Bondone’s Nativity
Scene, completed in the
Arena Chapel of Padua, Italy,
in AD 1305. It was just as
obvious to the inhabitants of
the pueblos of the Rio
Grande valley and the
Galisteo basin in New
Mexico.

9. Ancestral Pueblo peoples of New Mexico produced
many representations of sky themes such as four-
pointed stars and birds in their imagery.
Star petroglyph, West Mesa,
Albuquerque, NM, 1988.
The Galisteo Basin was
occupied by ancestral
pueblo peoples
from the early 13th
century. Their zenith
occurred in the mid-15th
century. This assures
that they must have
seen both the AD 1301
and the AD 1456
appearances of Halley’s
Comet.

10. Many examples of these symbols can be found
combined in the same panels.
Galisteo Dike, 1988.

11. In many instances the symbolism became
combined as stars developed attributes of
eagles. A comet would be readily identified as a
star with a tail.
Galisteo Dike, NM, 1988.

12. The image of a
star with an
eagle tail is
common
throughout
central New
Mexico.
Petroglyph Park, West Mesa, Albuquerque, NM, 1988.

13. Other star symbols began to acquire facial
features.
Petroglyph Park, West Mesa, Albuquerque, NM, 1988.

14. Stars with facial features and bird
attributes developed.
Petroglyph Park, West Mesa, Albuquerque, NM, 1988.

15. Petroglyph Park, West Mesa, Albuquerque, NM.
Photo by Julia Grundmeyer.

16. Galisteo, NM, 1988.

17. The personified stars began to acquire torsos and other
humanoid features. Galisteo, NM. 1988.

18. Galisteo, NM, 1990.

19. A final form of
these star beings
places the eagle
tail upon the star
head as a
headdress.
Galisteo, NM. 1990.

20. The final manifestation is Nangosohu, the Star or
Chasing Planet kachina from Hopi.