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Exactly 150 summers ago, stargazers were admiring a beautiful new comet. Discovered in mid-July 1862 by Americans Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle, the new object became favorably positioned high in the northern sky through the remainder of the summer.
During that last week of August, the comet was at its best, shining at second magnitude and displaying a long, bright tail. In telescopes, luminous jets of nebulosity blossom outward from a bright, highly condensed nucleus. French astronomer Camille Flammarion ranked comet Swift-Tuttle among the ten "really fine and striking comets" of the 19th century. Others would simply refer to it as "The Great Comet of 1862."....
Image credit:Jeff Berkes
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