Allama Iqbal handwritten quote on Halley’s Comet
Allama Iqbal handwritten quote in his diary on Halley’s Comet
Halley’s Comet is a short-period comet that becomes visible from Earth every 75-76 years. Since it is one of the rare astronomical phenomena that is visible to naked eye of masses without any astronomy equipment, it has always been a source of awe as well as concern from centuries.
Due to the orbit of this comet and its visibility every 75 years, it can only occur twice in a average human life.
On the 15 May 1910, Dr Allama Iqbal sighted Halley’s Comet. He was in awe at its vastness and penned below in his diary, which was later published as Stray Reflections
Yesterday morning at about 4, I saw that glorious visitor of our hemisphere known as Halley’s comet. Once in seventy-five years this superb swimmer of infinite space appears on our skies. It is only with the eyes of my grandsons that I shall see it again. The state of my mind was quite unique. I felt as if something indescribably vast had been closed up within the narrow limits of my clay: Yet the thought that I could not see this wanderer again, brought home to me the painful fact of my littleness. For the moment all ambition was killed in me”.
Below is his hand-written note, which is certainly a manuscript worthy of study by graphologists.
Halley’s Comet next sighing will be in year 2062.
Halley’s Comet photo courtesy of Wikipedia, shared under Creative Commons.
