* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: The Great Comet of 1861

Blobrana · L

On June 29, 1861, comet C/1861 J1 passed 11.5 degrees from the Sun. On the following day, June 30, 1861, the comet made its closest approach to the Earth at a distance of 0.1326 AU (19,840,000 km). During the Earth close approach the comet was estimated to be between magnitude 0 and -2 with a tail of over 90 degrees.
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Blobrana · L

It has been suggested that this comet had been previously sighted in April of 1500 (that comet is now known as C/1500 H1). The comet will return during the 23rd century.
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Blobrana · L

The discovery of the Great Comet of 1861 by John Tebbutt

On 13 May 1861 a young farmer at Windsor, a little town near Sydney, saw a fuzzy star. On checking his celestial charts he saw that there was no nebula listed for that position. Still, he could not be sure that it was a comet until he saw it move against the background stars. It took until the 21 May till he could detect sufficient movement to be almost certain. He then sent off a letter to the Rev. William Scott, the Government Astronomer at Sydney Observatory, as well as a letter to the Sydney Morning Herald. This letter was published in the paper on 25 May 1861, the young farmer's 27th birthday.
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Blobrana · L

The Great Comet of 1861 formally designated C/1861 J1 and 1861 II, was a comet that was visible to the naked eye for approximately 3 months. It was categorized as a Great Comet, one of eight in the 19th century.
It was discovered by John Tebbutt of Windsor, New South Wales, Australia, on May 13, 1861, with an apparent magnitude of +4, a month before perihelion (June 11).
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