Apparitions of comets were thought to be a bad omen in earlier times in almost all the old civilizations. This led to correlating these apparitions with some particular events which took place simultaneously. Although the information was collected and recorded merely for astrological purposes, yet these records are in no way less important from astronomical points of view. Ancient Indian astronomers like Garga, Marīci, Asita, Devala and others made cometary studies and recorded their trajectories(Bṛhat-saṃhitā, Chapter on Ketucārādhyāya).

In earlier times there was a notion that the comets were heavenly bodies and their apparitions, paths, rising and setting in the sky, could not be found out by mathematical calculations as is clear from the following śloka(Bṛhat-saṃhitā, Chapter on Ketucārā dhyāya).