The Night the Earth Passed Through a Comet
In 1861, an amateur astronomer in Australia found a new comet. Weeks later, the Earth passed through its tail, and people noticed a strange glow in the sky.
What was reported
In May 1861, John Tebbutt, a farmer and self-taught astronomer in Windsor, New South Wales, spotted a faint new comet. Over the following weeks it grew into one of the brightest of the century, with a tail stretching more than 90 degrees across the sky.
On 30 June, the Earth passed through its tail. Some observers in Europe described an odd yellowish, phosphorescent glow in the sky that evening, and the comet seemed to cast shadows at night.
Explanations offered
A comet's tail is extremely thin gas and dust, so passing through it did no harm, though people feared it would. Tebbutt became one of Australia's most famous astronomers, and appeared on the country's $100 note.
- When
- 30 June 1861
- Where
- Windsor, New South Wales, Australia
- Witnesses
- Astronomers and people across the northern hemisphere
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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