On Comets over Hungary before the Foundation of the University Observatory at Nagyszombat

Abstract

The first appreciable mention of comets in Hungary comes from the time of King Matthias I. Marcin Bylica and Pelbartus de Temesvár described them in a way which reflected contemporary knowledge, but both concentrated on astrological aspects. This was the main interest in the 16th century, too. Usually something unpleasant was expected, though there were occasions when the appearance of a comet or a new star was interpreted in connection with some favourable event. And there were a few writers, András Dudith and György Komáromi Csipkés among them, who rejected the idea that comets may affect human life. It was only in the mid-18th century that a significant change took place, when the first state-of-the-art textbooks were published in Nagyszombat.