In April of 1066, a streak of cool fire appeared in the heavens. The comet, called a “bearded star” back then, had appeared before. There are mentions of it around the world dating as far back as the fifth century B.C. It’s now called Halley’s Comet, for the 18th-century scientist who first calculated its return. But in the spring of 1066, the people of England saw this particular comet as a bad omen. Across the English Channel, Duke William of Normandy viewed the bearded star as a good sign. A…
