In the middle of the summer of 1264, the night sky suddenly blazed with a strange, awe-inspiring light.
From Europe all the way to Asia, people witnessed it: a massive comet with a tail stretching nearly 100 degrees across the sky, while ordinary comets rarely exceeded just a few degrees.
Records describe it as brighter than Venus, first seen in the west after sunset, then gradually shifting to the northeast before dawn, shining across the heavens from July to September 1264.
When the Comet’s Light Trembled Thrones and Churches
During the Middle Ages, people believed celestial events were divine omens — signs of Heaven’s favor or wrath.
In Europe
Pope Urban IV, upon hearing of the enormous comet lighting up the heavens, grew deeply anxious.
He interpreted it as a divine warning of disaster and spent days in prayer and fear.
Not long after, he fell ill and died, which only strengthened the public’s belief that the comet had brought calamity.
In China
At the Southern Song capital Lin’an, Emperor Lizong was informed that “a vast comet had appeared above the eastern walls, its tail stretching across the sky.”
Already frail, the emperor feared it was a heavenly omen of death, and his condition worsened.
He issued edicts seeking physicians from across the realm, promising high honors to anyone who could save him — yet none came.
By the end of 1264, Emperor Lizong passed away, fulfilling the ominous prophecy that had terrified his court.
In Mongolia
At the same time, a civil war for succession raged between the Toluid brothers — Kublai Khan and Ariq Böke.
When the comet appeared, Ariq Böke took it as a sign that Heaven had withdrawn its favor, and so he surrendered to Kublai at Shangdu.
This ended the conflict and allowed Kublai to unify the Mongol Empire, paving the way for the founding of the Yuan Dynasty.
In Đại Việt (Vietnam)
According to the Complete Annals of Đại Việt, during the reign of Emperor Trần Thánh Tông,
a great banquet was being held in the royal palace when a blazing comet appeared in the northeastern sky, its tail spanning the heavens.
The Retired Emperor looked up, observed calmly, and said:
“This comet shines brightly and has a long tail, yet it is not an omen of misfortune for our country.”
Indeed, months later, the Emperor of Song China passed away, fulfilling his words.
Historians later praised the Trần ruler’s clear judgment and composure, seeing this as proof that “Heaven favored the South.”
Historical Traces and Later Theories
The comet was later cataloged as C/1264 N1, one of the brightest ever recorded by humankind.
Nearly 300 years later, another dazzling comet — the Comet Charles V (in 1556) — appeared,
leading astronomers to speculate that it might have been the same object returning on a roughly 292-year orbit.
Though never fully proven, this theory made C/1264 N1 a legendary comet of the Middle Ages,
symbolizing both the fear of superstition and the dawn of scientific curiosity.