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 go on to identify one of the most spectacular comets of the nineteenth century.

As the Great Comet of 1861 swept closer to Earth, its enormous tail stretched overhead. Sailors watched from the sea. A woman observed it from her home in Louisiana. Soldiers on opposite sides of the American Civil War saw it from their camps and battlefields.

In this episode of The Garden Astronomer, we follow the Great Comet of 1861 from its appearance in Australia to its passage near Earth and uncover the stories of those who watched it unfold.

Written by Wayne McGraw. Narrated by Amy McGraw. Read the full article and see historical photos on The Garden Astronomer. Episode Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

00:50 - A Farmer & His Telescope

02:10 - John Tebbutt’s Discovery

04:38 - Predicting the Comet’s Path

05:36 - Earth Grazes a Comet's Tail

05:57 - Eyewitnesses: London, Athens, & Bristol

07:14 - The "War Comet": CSS Sumter's Escape

08:35 - Kate Stone’s Observation from Louisiana

10:39 - Looking Up from Civil War Battlefields

12:44 - Journey Through the Northern Constellations

14:04 - The Legacy of John Tebbutt

15:18 - Conclusion