Credit: © The Royal Society
                             
                         
                     
                         
                         
                             
                                 Image number: RS.10099
                             
                         
                         
                     
                 
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            Donati’s Comet, 10 October 1858
                                Date
                            
                            
                                1858
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Creator
                            
                            
                                James W. Watts (American) , Engraver
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                After
                            
                            
                                Henry G. Fette (American) , Astronomer
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Object type
                            
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Library reference
                            
                            
                                Tracts/X188/1
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Material
                            
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Technique
                            
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Dimensions
                            
                            
                                height (print): 238mm
width (print): 183mm
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            width (print): 183mm
                                Subject
                            
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Content object
                            
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Description
                            
                            
                                Astronomical study of the head of Donati’s Comet observed through the 15-inch refracting telescope at the observatory of Harvard College.  
The author of the accompanying text describes the illustration: “Plate II has been engraved from a drawing of the comet selected from a series executed with great care by Mr. Henry G. Fette. It gives a view of the region surrounding the nucleus on the evening of Oct.10, when it was at its least distance from the earth. “
Donati’s Comet was one of the brightest to be seen in the 19th century and was the first to be photographed (by G.P.Bond and others). It was discovered by the Italian astronomer Giovanni Battista Donati (1826-1873).
Plate 2 from the monograph An account of Donati’s Comet of 1858, by George P. Bond (Cambridge, Mass., John Bartlett, 1858). ” Inscribed: “PLATE II. Drawn by H.G.Fette. Engraved by J.W. Watts. Comet of Donati Oct. 10th 1858.”
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            The author of the accompanying text describes the illustration: “Plate II has been engraved from a drawing of the comet selected from a series executed with great care by Mr. Henry G. Fette. It gives a view of the region surrounding the nucleus on the evening of Oct.10, when it was at its least distance from the earth. “
Donati’s Comet was one of the brightest to be seen in the 19th century and was the first to be photographed (by G.P.Bond and others). It was discovered by the Italian astronomer Giovanni Battista Donati (1826-1873).
Plate 2 from the monograph An account of Donati’s Comet of 1858, by George P. Bond (Cambridge, Mass., John Bartlett, 1858). ” Inscribed: “PLATE II. Drawn by H.G.Fette. Engraved by J.W. Watts. Comet of Donati Oct. 10th 1858.”
                                Associated place