Great Comet of 1744 - Southern Hemisphere and Asian Observations

Southern Hemisphere and Asian Observations

Chéseaux, on March 9, was the last known observer in the northern hemisphere to see the comet, but it remained visible for observers in the southern hemisphere, some of whom reported a tail length of approximately 90 degrees on March 18. The comet was not seen after April 22, 1744.

The comet also was noted in Chinese astronomical records. Researchers have found that some of their observations describe audible sounds associated with the comet, which may, if true, have resulted from the interaction of particles with the Earth's magnetosphere, as sometimes described for the aurora.

Among those who saw the comet was the thirteen-year-old Charles Messier, on whom it had a profound and inspirational effect. He went on to become a significant figure in astronomy, and later discovered many comets during his observations.

Read more about this topic:  Great Comet Of 1744

Famous quotes containing the words southern, hemisphere, asian and/or observations:

    ... so far from thinking that a slaveholder is bound by the immoral and unconstitutional laws of the Southern States, we hold that he is solemnly bound as a man, as an American, to break them, and that immediately and openly ...
    Angelina Grimké (1805–1879)

    Rome, the city of visible history, where the past of a whole hemisphere seems moving in funeral procession with strange ancestral images and trophies gathered from afar.
    George Eliot [Mary Ann (or Marian)

    If he roars at you as you’re dyin’
    You’ll know it is the Asian Lion.
    Carolyn Wells (1862–1942)

    By sharing the information and observations with the caregiver, you have a chance to see your child through another pair of eyes. Because she has some distance and objectivity, a caregiver often sees things that a parent’s total involvement with her child doesn’t allow.
    Amy Laura Dombro (20th century)