Great Comet of 1744
The Great Comet of 1744, whose official designation is C/1743 X1, and which is also known as Comet de Ch̩seaux or Comet Klinkenberg-Ch̩seaux, was a spectacular comet that was observed during 1743 and 1744. It was discovered independently in late November 1743 by Jan de Munck, in the second week of December by Dirk Klinkenberg, and, four days later, by Jean-Philippe de Ch̩seaux. It became visible with the naked eye for several months in 1744 and displayed dramatic and unusual effects in the sky. This comet is noted especially for developing a 'fan' of six tails after reaching its perihelion. Among those who saw the comet was the 13 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. Image from A Popular Treatise on Comets (1861) by James C. Watson.
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