In 1861, as America descended into the Civil War, a great comet appeared, visible even in daylight. For a moment, the world paused to watch. A young Australian farmer named John Tebbutt was the first to recognize it. Armed with a tiny telescope, a sextant, and a determination to understand the heavens, he would goContinueContinue reading “The Great Comet of 1861”
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The Great Comet of 1861: When Earth Grazed a Comet’s Tail
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.