The Great Comet of 1861 stunned the world as Earth passed through its tail. Discover how a farmer-astronomer and Civil War witnesses saw history.
Category Archives: Top Object
The Great Comet of 1744: Six Tails at Dawn
Uncover the mystery of the Great Comet of 1744. From its six-tailed fan to inspiring a young Charles Messier, relive the dawn that changed astronomy.
Donati’s Comet 1858: The Comet That Stunned the World
Explore Donati’s Comet of 1858—its historic observations, first photographs, and global impact, from Florence skies to Abraham Lincoln’s gaze.
Silent Fireballs, Thunderous Awe: The 1913 Meteor Procession
Eyewitness accounts of the rare 1913 Great Meteor Procession, a slow-moving fireball display across Canada, Bermuda, and the South Atlantic.
Messier 93: The Wedge-Shaped Open Cluster in Puppis
Learn about Messier 93, a wedge-shaped open star cluster in Puppis—its history and how to observe it with binoculars or a telescope.
The Flame Nebula (NGC 2024): Orion’s Subtle Fire
Discover Orion’s Flame Nebula, glowing crimson from hidden star IRS2b. Learn about its beauty and how to observe visually and with a Seestar.
The Quadrantids Meteor Shower and the Turning of the Year
Watch the Quadrantids meteor shower peak in early January. Explore its history, origins, and the fleeting brilliance of winter’s skies.
STT 461 in Cepheus: A Multiple Star System—or a Cosmic Illusion?
The double star Struve 2840 is located in the northern sky within the constellation Cepheus. Backyard astronomers should find it pretty easy to separate Struve 2840’s two stars, which are separated by 18 arcseconds. The pair is also known as STF 2840, SAO 33819, HD 208063, HR 8357.
The Garden Astronomer 