1266 BC Halley’s Comet: Ixion, the Golden Lamb, and the Voyage of the Argonauts by Nicholas Costa © 2026

The Astronomical Background

In 2007 Mikiya Sato and Jun-ichi Watanabe of the National Astronomical Observatory in Japan, published a paper entitled the Origin of the 2006 Orionid Outburst. They observed that the strong Orionid outburst observed in 2006 was caused by the dust trails formed by meteoroids ejected from 1P/Halley in 1265, 1197, and 910 BC and that these meteoroids had six times the Jovian orbital period, and their orbit was able to intersect the Earth’s orbit at the present day because of this mean motion resonance with Jupiter.

Resonance Stability: Astronomical models indicate that during this entire window (from roughly 1404 BC to 690 BC), Halley was locked in that stable 1:6 resonance with Jupiter. This resonance kept the massive amounts of debris released during these “fragmentation-level” events concentrated in tight swarms.

Research into the dynamical evolution of Comet Halley and the Orionid meteor shower links these specific times to “enhanced meteor phenomena” or outbursts, which indicates an abnormally high volume of material was released, far exceeding standard, steady-state sublimation (Resonant Behavior of Comet Halley and the Orionid Stream, A. Sekhar, D. J. Asher 2013)

Sato and Watanabe (2007) and Asher (2019) have found that the dust trails from 1265 BC, 1197 BC, and 910 BC are exceptionally dense—far more than a typical passage would produce. In cometary science, this often implies a fragmentation event on a smaller scale, such as the “crumbling” or “shedding” of large crustal plates or the release of massive “meteoroid clusters”. (Ryabova, G. O., Asher, D. J., & Campbell-Brown, M. D. (Eds.). (2019). Meteoroids: Sources of Meteors on Earth and Beyond).

Evidence from the 1986 Giotto mission showed that Halley’s nucleus is highly porous and dark, suggesting it is a “rubble pile” that sheds large volumes of material during active phases. The fact that researchers Yeomans and Kiang had to stop their backward “clock” at 1404 BC implies that the comet likely underwent significant physical or orbital changes during that specific encounter.

Sisyphos :1404 BC

The 1404 BC return is notable for being one of the closest passes to Earth in the comet’s known history. Such proximity often subjects the comet to intense solar heating and tidal forces, which can trigger the “crumbling” or massive shedding of surface material.

Several researchers have modeled the 1404 BC passage of Comet 1P/Halley as a pivotal historical marker for understanding the Eta Aquariid (May) and Orionid (October) meteor showers.

Galina Ryabova (2003/2007): Building on previous models, researcher Galina Ryabova concluded that the Eta Aquariid shower likely “was born” or significantly developed between 1404 BC and 837 AD, while the Orionid portion of the stream was generated even earlier. (Ryabova, G. O. (2003). “The Comet Halley meteoroid stream: just one more model.” Ryabova, G. O. (2007). “The P/Halley Stream: Meteor Showers on Earth, Venus and Mars.”).

Phrixus 1334 BC:

Mythology cites the appearance of a Golden Ram sent by Nephele, as analysed in the previous article. It is conjectured by astronomers that at this time Halley’s comet, near its best visibility, would have appeared as a bright, glowing head (coma) with a long, luminous tail stretching upward. The tail might span several degrees (a few finger-widths). It would appear generally whitish or pale gold, slightly misty or smoky. Notably many sheep in the ancient Mediterranean and Near East, including rams, were fat-tailed, possessing long, heavy tails. The Mishnah (Shabbat 5:4) explicitly mention that some rams had tails so long and heavy that they were tied to a “small wagon” to prevent them from dragging on the ground. This would help explain the mythological metaphor of a golden ram.

Astronomical Research concerning the apparitions of 1266/5, 1198/7, and 911/0 BC. Research highlights these specific dates because according to calculations Halley’s comet released an unusually high volume of material—far beyond standard sublimation. It acknowledges that these three apparitions created exceptionally dense trails. In cometary physics, such density is often the result of “fragmentation-like” events, such as the shedding of large chunks or a massive surface collapse.

Mythological Event: The Voyage of the Argonauts. In the light of the above research is should be evident that at its core the Voyage eastwards of the Argo was none other than a metaphor for a celestial apparition relating to a heavy celestial meteor flux associated with Halley’s comet. The name Argo is derived from the Greek adjective argos (swift, shining, or bright). The builder of the boat was named Argos and he was was depicted as the son of Phryxus. The latter was a metaphor the 1334 BC apparition.

The Mythology

Greek mythology has preserved three distinct memories of the apparition of 1266/5 BC and its attendant meteor swarms. We learn from the Chronological Canons of Eusebius of Caesarea as presrved by Jerome that,

Aegeus, the son of Pandion, for 48 years. The deeds of the Argonauts and the Centaurs occurred in his reign; and Heracles held the athletic games. The start of the reign is commonly dated to 1272 BC. Therefore the period covered is c 1272-1224 BC

St. Jerome’s Chronicon also provides more specific dates as follows:

§ B1270 …The story of the Argonauts. [1270 BC]

§ B1268 Atreus and Thyestes sons of Pelops, rule. [1268 BCE]

§ B1265 The voyage of the Argonauts…[1265 BCE]

Collectively this information is very important for it helps locate in time certain key Greek myths that appear at first sight to be unrelated.

1. Ixion and the Centaurs

2.The Golden Lamb of Atreus and Thyestes

3. The Voyage of the Argonauts

Each myth is evidently a metaphor of the celestial events surrounding the apparition of Halley’s Comet in 1266 BC.

To be continued

Check out this for more recorded sightings of Halley’s Comet in antiquity