Analysis of Korean Historical Records of Comet Halley

In this paper, we analyzed Korean historical records of the periodic comet Halley in three periods (Three Kingdoms, the Goryeo dynasty, and the Joseon dynasty) using various sources such as Samguksagi (History of the Three Kingdoms), Goryeosa (History of the Goryeo Dynasty), and Joseonwangjosillok (Annals of the Joseon Dynasty). To determine the apparition time of the comet at each return, we referred to the works of Kronk. For the Three Kingdoms period, we could not find any record relevant to Halley's comet from Samguksagi. Instead, we examined the suggestion that the phenomenon two Suns appearing on April 1, 760 (in a luni-solar calendar), which is recorded in Samgukyusa (Renaissance of the Three Kingdoms), indicates an appearance of comet Halley during the daytime. In contrast, we found that all the returns of Halley's comet during the Goryeo dynasty are recorded, although some accounts are questioned. In addition, we found that the appearance of Halley's comet in 1145 is also mentioned in a spirit-path stele made in 1178. For the Joseon dynasty period, we found that all the returns of the comet are recorded, as with the Goryeo dynasty, except for the return of 1910, in which the former dynasty fell. In conclusion, we think that this study will be helpful for understanding Korean historical accounts of Halley's comet.