Credit: © The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.10050
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    ‘The Great Comet of 1843’

    Date
    1848
    Creator
    Charles Piazzi Smyth (1819 - 1900, British) , Astronomer
    Object type
    Archive reference number
    Material
    Technique
    Dimensions
    height (print): 180mm
    width (print): 113mm
    height (mount): 237mm
    width (mount): 168mm
    Subject
    Description
    View of the Kruetz sungrazing comet which became known as the ‘Great Comet’ or ‘March Comet’ of 1843, because of the extreme length and brightness of the comet’s tail. The comet was best seen from the southern hemisphere. The author observed and painted the object from the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.

    Illustration from the unpublished paper "Attempt to apply instrumental measurement to the zodiacal light...”, by Charles Piazzi Smyth. The paper was written or completed on 25 March 1848 and received by the Royal Society on 13 April. It was eventually withdrawn on 2 November 1848.

    The central image is framed in red watercolour and has various inscriptions. It is captioned below: “The Great Comet of 1843 as seen at the Cape of Good Hope on March 4th in the evening (34 S Lat.).”
    Associated place
    <The World>
       > Africa
          > South Africa
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