The Great Comet of 1577 passed close to Earth, displaying a spectacular tail that captivated observers across Europe. From his observatory on the island of Hven, Denmark, Tycho Brahe tracked the comet and proved that it traveled through the interplanetary spheres far beyond the moon. This discovery officially demolished the traditional crystalline spheres theory of the cosmos, forcing a massive reappraisal of natural philosophy and religious interpretations of space.

The comet triggered a massive wave of broadsheets, sermons, and poetry throughout the late Renaissance. It forced poets to transition away from medieval cosmological models, providing a fresh vocabulary of fluid, boundless space that enriched the metaphorical language of early modern poetry.